A Kardian Tale
by Ekoaleko
Summary: A young man, inflicted with amnesia, stumbles upon the inviting land of Kardia. A girl offers him a house and a farm, where he can start a new life... and perhaps retrieve some memories from his past. Based on the storyline, Rune Factory. Ch.15: Control.
1. Raguna

A/N: I will proudly and conceitedly say that this is the first Rune Factory fanfic on ffNet. Though I suppose that's what made me rush writing this. Chapter one was written on July 24 '08. Nothing major was added, to the updated readers, and I'll continue to revise the rest of the chapters. To the new readers, hello, and I hope you like the story. xD There will be spoilers, but they'll be marked, so don't worry. And NOT EVERYTHING IS BASED OFF THE STORYLINE. Keep that in mind, because I tend to throw in a lot of random twists along the way.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rune Factory, the main storyline, or any of the characters. Duh.

A Kardian Tale

"_Darkness…"_

…_Where am I? _

"What do you see?"

_It's all black. I don't see anything… _

"What do you feel?"

_I feel…pain. I feel it everywhere. It's immense, and aching, and it won't go away. It feels like… I'm paralysed. In my heart._

"In your heart?"

_I feel like I've lost someone. Or…or some_thing_. _

"What is wrong with you?"

_I…I only wish I knew. _

"What's it like to feel blind?"

_It's horrid. Yet comforting, at the same time. I don't really know. But I'm just…I'm scared... to open my eyes… _

"Do you remember?"

_What do you mean?_

"Do you remember?"

…_No. _

"Do you know what happened?"

_No._

"Have you any recent memories?"

…_Darkness. _

"Wake up."

**xoxo**

At first, he saw a light. A small light, like a fleck of stardust, or a tiny, glowing, floating orb. He looked at it fondly, and then around at its surroundings. Everything was pitch black but that light. He took a curious step toward it.

What a strange light. He reached his hand out to touch it, but it reacted instantly, something electric shooting through him, sending a shockwave through his body the instant he came in contact with the odd structure. He snapped back. What was that…that physical feeling? The sudden and disturbing upheaval in his veins that sent his nerves into disarray?

Oh. Pain.

He stared at the glimmering orb, and this time it took on a whole new meaning, a whole new shape. He was now staring into a pair of deep-set eyes, which were locked intently on him, like those eyes knew him, like they could read his soul. Something along the lines of excitement coursed through his veins and he took another conscious step forward, the irises and clarity of the eyes intensifying.

_Be reborn_, he thought he heard faintly, like a whisper that had been lost in the air.

The rushing adrenaline came to an immediate halt. The eyes were gone.

He took a final step forward, light enveloping around him, swallowing him. Rebirthing him.

**xoxo**

His eyes burst open like buds in the sun, and for a second the burning bright light hurt to see. He tried to roll over to block himself from the glare of the sun, but he realized, as he did so, that it hurt. His stomach felt like a void.

He looked up, desperate to find something, anything that could take away the throbbing pain inside. He looked around. A house. The sky. Some clouds. That was all he could see from his angle. It was all he managed to see. He seemed to be able to recognize all those things, but just subtly, like familiar, old friends. But he could not be sure of anything.

"How are you?"

He was startled by the voice above his head. "W…what?" Who did this sweet voice belong to? Who was there? And was this his own voice…?

"Are you okay? You're just lying down like that."

Who was this person kidding? He ignored the query, eyes fluttering in aversion from the angry sun. "Where am I…?" he asked weakly. His limbs were aching, and his throat was parched. The sun beat down on his head, frying him.

"On the ground."

He felt irritated. "What… town?" His voice was straining slowly. Something elapsed him, like a black blanket, or the night sky closing in on him. No… he was losing it. He struggled to pull back to the surface.

"Oh, what town are you in? You could've said that, silly!" The feminine voice giggled, and it sounded sweet as honey. She could never understand what he was feeling right now. "You're in Kardia. It's a peaceful little town. But why are you lying down like that?"

He squirmed a little in an attempt to stand. He managed to toss himself into a kneeling position, panting away the sting in his chest. He took a few lungfuls of air before replying. "I…" The answer grasped him--he didn't find the answer, it found him--but he lost it in a heartbeat. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

He looked up for the first time to see another oddly familiar being, a girl with gray-blonde hair and soft, wide blue eyes that looked eternally curious as they gazed into his. It was all he could see of her from his position on the ground.

Pain seized his abdomen once more and he doubled over like he'd just been hit.

"What? What's wrong?" the girl asked worriedly.

"It… hurts," he said, in barely a whisper.

The girl bounced down to reach his length, blinking. "What was that?"

"Food," he pleaded simply. It was fading now… he was on the brink of consciousness. He was scared that the darkness would come back again.

"Oh, food!" She shot him a heartwarming smile, not taking the situation as seriously as he was. "I bet you're hungry after your long journey here from…wherever you came from," she finished hastily. "Stay here, I'll be back in a sec." She rushed inside the house behind her, earning a breath of relief from him. He laid back down on the ground, too sore to think thoroughly about the odd girl.

After a few moments, she burst back outside. "Here you go! If you really want some healthy, high-quality food, you can grow it with this!" She shoved an odd, curved contraption into his unusually pale hand. A…watering can? "But before you can do that, you have to till the soil, so the plants will be comfy and have a nice place to sleep." She shoved a long, bladed tool into his other hand bleakly. A hoe…? "There you go! All set!"

The pain was truly beginning to settle in now, and he moaned slightly as a throb rammed at the inside of his chest. "I need…to eat…" he rephrased, barely coherently.

The girl gave him a look like he was insane. An "oh" expression came to her face. It looked like a joke. "Yeah, I can do that!" she exclaimed, and again she vanished into the building.

He was just about to give up and die himself to get it over with when the girl threw the door open and hurried to his side. "Will this do?" She held out a loaf of bread and a glass of water a few feet from his face. He took the food wholeheartedly, his body feeding itself subconsciously. Slowly his strength regenerated. "Thank you…"

"No problem." She smiled from ear-to-ear, more interested in him than she should've been. "Hey, are you a traveler?" She said this like she already thought he was.

"Uh…no…I'm actually…" He furrowed his brow. He tried to sort through his memory, his past, but all that came to him was a big blank. "I don't know." He really didn't.

"Huh." She gave him another suspicious look, but this one looked… intrigued. "Where are you from?" she asked again.

He started to get annoyed. Not at her, but at himself, for not knowing anything. He racked through his brain quickly. But there was nothing to find. "I don't know," he said again.

The girl looked him in the eye, like she was searching for something. "Oh…" she finally said, softly.

"What?"

"I think… you have amnesia."

He tried to pull himself up, strengthening from the meal he'd just received. "That's a possibility," he said thoughtfully.

She sucked in her bottom lip. "Maybe…" She was eyeing him now, like she was trying to will the answer out of him.

He frowned, confused.

"Maybe staying here will help you regain your memory." It sounded like more of a request than a suggestion.

His first instinct told him to decline, to say no, and turn around and leave. But his second instinct, the one that made less sense, but sent a familiar itch culling through his blood made him accept.

"Alright." He saw the ecstatic look in her eye and tried to downplay it a little. "I have nowhere else to go anyway."

Still, the girl looked overjoyed. "That's great!" She took his hand, and for the first time--or so it seemed--he felt warmth. "Come, I'll show you where you can stay. My name is Mist, by the way."

"Mist," he repeated, letting it sink in. "Alright."

She looked over her shoulder at him as they started walking north, toward a bridge. "What's your name?" she questioned amiably.

He looked puzzled. He should know this, shouldn't he? His own name? "I don't--"

"You don't remember," Mist finished, seeming unsatisfied with the phrase "I don't know."

He nodded simply.

"Maybe you can pick a name," she suggested. She let go of his hand, and the warmth dissipated. His hand clenched reflexively, cold and stiff.

"Pick a name? " he repeated. "I don't think I know one that'll suit me…"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't kn… remember what I look like." It sounded ridiculous, to say it. If only he could put the words into an intelligible phrase--if only he could just _remember_.

Mist looked stunned. "You've gotta be kidding me!" she said, and began ushering him over to the bridge. She put her hand on his back, signalling for him to look down into the glassy stream.

He did. A mess of dark brown hair, pale skin, and rather plain features was what came up. But what caught his attention the most fully was that…pair of deep-set eyes…

He touched them, not even thinking, and watching only his reflection. He ended up poking himself stupidly in the eye. "Ow," he whined.

"You're pretty handsome, actually," Mist commented casually, ignoring the little show he'd just put on. He shot her an embarrassed look in return, one she didn't seem to quite understand. "What?"

"Er, nothing." He looked back down at his reflection, feeling flattered and awkward. "I, uh…"

"So, you know what you look like. And now you need a name."

His mouth cocked open and then closed firmly. "No clue," he said flatly.

She seemed shockingly patient. "Do you want me to suggest something?"

"Uh… sure."

She folded her arms. "What about… Zavier?"

"Zavier?" he repeated. Zavier… he kind of liked that. He looked like a Zaver. Kind of.

"Yes, that's my boyfriend's name."

He faltered noticeably and uncomfortably. "Erm… I don't think…"

"You're right. Too common." She was back at it again. "What about Emmett?"

"I guess that's okay," he began. But… "Wait, does that name already belong to someone?"

"Yes. Emmett works as bartender at the Spring Rabbit."

He was beginning to feel annoyed. And even more confused, if that was possible. He said the first thing that came to his head, just to get it over with. "Why not Raguna?"

"Raguna?" Mist seemed surprised, like he was incapable of thought. Her soft eyes flickered in indecision. She scanned him up and down, causing him to redden slightly, and appraised this. "I suppose you do look like a Raguna. Yeah, that'll do." Gradually, a smile worked its way onto her lips. "Okay. I'll show you to your farmhouse, Raguna."

Raguna couldn't help but smile back at the girl. He felt more at peace, knowing that he had a name now, an identity. But he got this slight feeling that the two orbs--one he'd created, and the other that had existed--were clashing. This wasn't his real identity. This wasn't really him. Who was he kidding?

Before he could voice his opinion, Mist, who didn't look like she'd agree with him anyway, grabbed his hand again, swinging it as she dragged him to the other side of the bridge. The warmth returned, so inviting and sweet it swept away all of his doubts.

**xoxo**

"…And that's the field, where you can work and stuff," Mist concluded as she pointed around the farm. "As you can see, there's some debris and annoying logs and stuff like that, so you might want to clear it, to make life easier for you, I guess."

"Hang on." Mist looked up at Raguna's exclamation. "You mean I have to pay off my debt?"

"Debt?" Mist frowned, something he never thought she was able to do. "You don't have a debt. But don't you want to make money…or a living?"

"Well…" His shoulders slumped. "Yeah." But he couldn't see farming being his true living. He got that 'two orbs' feeling again and something uncomfortable nestled in his chest.

Mist surveyed the land, trying to think of anything she'd missed showing him. "Any questions?" she prompted, not noticing his slight pretense.

"Erm…well…I've got one. This is a farm, isn't it? Don't farms have… animals?" Or so he vaguely remembered.

Mist looked bemused. Then she laughed--not at him, but not exactly with him. It was like she was just laughing for the sake of laughing. "You're so silly, Raguna," she said contentedly.

He was shocked, and took her lack of seriousness as a sign of agreement. How could he make money without animals? "You know, like, sheep, and cows, chickens?" he pressed, praying she was kidding.

"Oh. Those," Mist said, the smile lighting up her face dropping.

He sighed in relief. "Right, so I can--"

"We don't have those."

An aggravated sensation dawned, this time showing on his face. All these constantly changing emotions felt so fresh to him, so strange. "Look, will you just give me a clear answer: yes or no?"

Mist puckered her lips a little. "Um… we kind of do, but we kind of don't."

He sighed again.

"We have…animals, as you call them. They're just not called animals. Plus they're better. And cuter," she added. She beamed as she looked up at the horizon beyond him. "See, we don't use animals here."

He froze, catching onto the sly tone in her voice. "Then… what do you use?" he asked, bracing himself.

"Monsters."

Despite his anticipation, he could not omit his shock. "_Monsters_? You use _monsters_?"

"Yeah. And we keep them in monster huts. Camus will build you one. You just need to give him some wood and stuff, first." She went on and on, even though he didn't understand a word she was saying. "I think you should go capture some monsters at Carmite Cave first, train them, but Mayor Godwin will have to issue you a pass first, so you should go see him. But maybe you'd like to meet all the other villagers before you do that…oh, and it would be smart to get a weapon while you're at it. And a shield. You can never be too careful, you know."

He looked at her, and she smiled back at him serenely. "Who are you again?" he asked, just to make sure she really existed.

"My name is Mist, and you are in Kardia," she repeated patiently.

"I have to fight?" His resolve sank into his gut. Confusion. Pain. Annoyance. Happiness. Sadness. Fear. All the emotions were swirling around him, and he couldn't fully fathom any of them.

Mist nodded, still nonchalant as ever. "Yes, you do. Want me to show you how?"

"What?" Mist? Fighting? Raguna couldn't quite picture that. He felt a churning feeling, and his heel pivoted. "Look, maybe this isn't such a good idea," he started. "Maybe I'll just…"

And then he lunged forward, clutching his forehead and gasping, a splitting pain in his head making everything silence. Everything happened in the time span of a single heartbeat. Darkness wrapped around him, it was all hauntingly dark again, and he was all alone, staring into his own eyes…

There was a crunch, distant but very audible, sounding like it was coming from very, very far away, but just barely, like an echo. He wanted to stay there, safe, but he was almost scared to. Then he remembered Mist, and the farmhouse, and suddenly all of the information he'd obtained in that miniscule amount of time he'd spent in Kardia came slamming into him with such force that he burst into a surrounding filled with light. And he saw a farmhouse. And a field.

And Mist.

However, the two were accompanied by an enormous monster he didn't remember seeing before his small delusion. The beast hovered about ten feet away from them. Its skin was leathery, murky, and looked rough as alligator scales. It possessed a ragged red mane of hair, with two knife-edge sharp horns atop its head, and lastly…

Raguna felt his heart clench at this last detail.

An axe. An axe was enclosed in the cretin's right fist, large as Raguna's head, and sharp and clean. He could see his fear in the reflection.

Suddenly, something beside him moved, and he looked over quickly. Mist had stepped up heroically. "Okay, watch me deal with this guy," she said seriously.

His eyes widened in horror. "No way!" he protested, grabbing her by the arm as she started advancing. He yanked her back, saving her from a wild swing from the beast. "You're not going near that…that thing."

For some bizarre reason, one he couldn't pinpoint in his wildest imaginations, he felt…more familiar to that monster. Far more familiar to it than he had felt toward his own face, or the farm, or his own feelings.

"But—"

The monster thundered over to Raguna and Mist, towering over them dangerously closely. Raguna reacted on his first instinct--he dropped the watering can gripped in his hand and raised his hoe, the closest weapon in sight that looked like it could do any real damage. He dove forward and dug it into the creature's rock-hard chest. It stumbled back, but otherwise was unharmed.

"Get back!" Raguna ordered, and Mist obeyed, backing, and wide-eyed as ever. He continued to hack at the mutant like a berserker, not stopping to take a breath once. He did not pause once to register what he was doing.

When enough damage was dealt, and the beast looked frail and weak, Raguna took one final blow at it, striking it square in the jaw. He almost expected bloodshed or something, but instead, the being dissipated cleanly into the air, and a mystifying orb of blue floated away into the sky, serenely, giving no indication that a second ago that had been a rabid beast. Raguna was bemused. And yet he felt like he'd done this a thousand times.

"Retornen," Mist uttered softly.

"What was that?" He turned to face her, confused by the look of interest piqued on her face.

"You're amazing, Raguna."

"Oh…erm…thank you."

"I think…" She eyed the spot where the beast had recently been defeated. He anticipated her words, almost hoping, vainly, for more compliments. But instead, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Hey, you know what? I'm tired. I think I'll go now. See you tomorrow."

His mouth fell agape as Mist waved and headed back toward her house. "W-wait! What do you think?" he called loudly after her.

Mist didn't seem to hear him. "I'll be at your farm at noon! Remember to clear the fields!" she called, disappearing into the distance.

He sank back half-heartedly. Noon…he made a mental note to himself.

Then he looked over his shoulder, back at where the monster once stood. Was Mist seriously expecting him to "capture" and "train" one of those fiends?

Raguna walked cautiously up to the field, crouching down to examine the dirt. There were no remains. It was strange. And that orb…? And that thing Mist said…?

For the first time, he noticed the bright, cornstarch moon sealed above him, and how the sky had grown dark and the air cool. Yet this darkness was nothing compared to the shroud he'd been yanked into earlier. He started for his new house, only wishing he could remember his past. Amnesia. How come he could remember how to talk, and how to move, and so many things…but not anything else? Was this really amnesia, or could it be something else, something more powerful?

Why did he feel and act that way when he saw the monster? Why didn't he run, or feel fear, but instead that surging confidence? Where did that strength come from?

Who was he, and why was he in Kardia?

He'd think it through in the morning. Though he knew he couldn't possibly sort it out in a day, or even a week, he pushed all the thoughts aside. He disappeared inside the house, shutting the door behind him, and looking profoundly around at the gigantic contents of the one-room building.

Soon, he was in bed, and fell prey to the darkness.

…_Darkness. _


	2. Carmite Cave

**NOTES: **Minor edits have been made to chapter one. Still the exact same storyline, however, so if you already read it there's no need to burden yourself and do it again… hahh. "Do it." XD Uh, also, my laptop slash ff net is being stupid and not showing my html, so... yeah.

A/N: Here's chapter two. I, personally, think I patched it up much better than chapter one. Edits will probably come its way, so I'll hark when they do. People appearances may seem scarce, but worry not; it's planned.

Thanks **Moonlit Dreaming **for reviewing !

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon. No warnings, really.

A Kardian Tale

Raguna had awoken quite a while ago. But, seeing as there was little he could do at six in the morning, he'd merely sat on his bed and waited for time to do its course.

What would his old self do at a time like this? Would he go back to bed, or just suck it up and go outside? Was he a cold, jaded person or a compassionate, amiable one everyone loved? Where did he come from?

He looked down at the marks on his hands. He felt like a reincarnation of another person. Like he was a split-human. Two people; not one. He felt… incomplete.

Reverting his attention to the other day, he thought back of Mist. She was quite odd, but he knew she meant well. Plus he'd realized it before, but only now let it sink in- she was cute. And her smile? Even cuter.

Raguna stiffened when he remembered the girl's words, and how she'd said what's-his-face was her boyfriend. Zavier, that was it. He wondered what Zavier would be like… maybe as kind as Mist? Or… as 'off'?

Finally deciding to get up, he stretched and headed for the door, but not before scanning the bare wood walls. He'd have to find some furniture to fill in the empty spaces of the room- it was quite large, after all. And that frame on the wall… maybe he could whip up a painting of some sort.

_Hold up. You don't belong here yet_, Raguna reminded himself bitterly. Then he strode out the door without another thought.

**xoxo**

Raguna decided to take the route along the south side of his house out of total randomness. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he continued down the sturdy bridge, eyeing the stream and sky and trees. They were all familiar to him, for some reason. A lot of things were. Maybe his amnesia wasn't that serious.

_Stop thinking about your stupid amnesia, _Raguna scolded himself. He tried to force the words out of his mind as he continued down the dirt path,halting when he came to Mist's house. He looked at her doorstep, where he'd collapsed… and it was only now that he'd began to feel embarrassed about how he'd begged for food. Thankfully, Mist didn't mind.

Deciding it was much too early to pay her a visit, and that he didn't know her well enough to visit her in the first place, he continued onward, veering a strict left when he came across a cave. He looked at the sign beside its dark, arched entrance and soaked the words in, surprised he remembered how to read.

**Carmite Cave**

He stopped there. Funny, that was the cave Mist mentioned. He began to envision the monsters he was expected to capture when a figure burst out from the clearing behind him, making a loud entrance. He raised the hoe furled in his hand and turned around, readying himself for an attack. But instead, he saw a silver-haired boy, around his age, looking ticked off before him.

"Do you…" The boy didn't finish. He looked at Raguna, then at his hoe.

Embarrassed, he stuck the farm tool behind him, wondering if the boy thought he was deranged. "Raguna," he introduced himself, trying to show he wasn't intimidated.

But the boy continued to stare at him with a flicker of bewilderment and judgment in his eyes.

"Er, my name is Raguna," he repeated, wishing he'd picked a more common name. It sure sounded like a good one when Mist said it was…

"Oh." That was all he said. Oh. Then he looked over Raguna's shoulder, to Carmite Cave, as if orienting himself. "Well, _Raguna_, sorry I scared you."

His skin pricked with annoyance, but said nothing.

"I just saw you waltzing over to that cave over there, and I couldn't help but intervene." He paused, as if letting Raguna soak the words in. "Do you know what that cave is?"

He almost rolled his eyes. "Carmite Cave," he answered simply.

The boy looked taken aback. "How'd you know that?"

Raguna barely suppressed a smug smirk. He pointed at the sign directly in front of him. "I read that."

Somehow, the boy looked offended. "Whatever," he scoffed, causing the farmer to raise an eyebrow. "You know, that's prohibited."

"…Oh."

"Yeah." He went on, though it was evidently clear Raguna didn't care. "Mayor Godwin has to issue you a pass. Which he never will, because you need to be a good hunter to get something like that."

"Do we have any of those?" Raguna knew what the boy was implying- he'd said that just to spite him.

"Yes! Me!" he reared up indignantly, not surprising Raguna in the least. Then he calmed down a little. "Look, kid, even if you do miraculously get a pass… there's no way you'll surpass my skills. So why don't you give up while you're at it?"

_Kid? I bet I'm the same age as him, if not even older. _"Excuse, but I'm not 'at' anything," Raguna told him harshly. "And if you don't mind, I'm leaving." He pivoted, feeling especially angry. Maybe getting a new shell made him more emotional. Whatever the reason, he had to calm down.

Arriving back at the farm, he looked at his hoe dully. It was chipped and rusted here and there, and the handle twisted slightly at an awkward angle. Perhaps there was a blacksmith in the town that could fix it up…

He shook his head. Again with that. _He didn't belong here. _He'd end up leaving in the end, so what did it matter?

Just to clear his mind, he approached the vast field infested its onslaught of hindrances, running his hoe along the soil and picturing the weeds as the previous boy's face, kicking at them whenever one came his way.

**xoxo**

"Hey!"

Raguna jumped, startled at the sound of the sudden cry. He dropped his hoe and looked around to find the source of the voice. He smiled when he saw Mist waving at him from the distance. She paused for a bit before jogging up to him, eyes locked on not him, but the field.

"Is something the matter?" he asked when she'd reached him.

She shook her head. "No. I'm just… wow. The soil, Raguna… how did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, confused.

"Till that much soil."

"Oh, I, uh, don't know." He scratched the back of his sweat-stained neck. "I guess I was just bored."

Mist laughed wholeheartedly. "You're a natural, Raguna…" she complimented, beaming at the tilled fields. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"I think you've accomplished enough… for Mayor Godwin to issue you a pass to Carmite Cave."

He felt already less than eager. "But all I did was till soil…" he said meekly.

Mist took this as a modest protest and smiled at him. "Why don't you go see him later today?"

"But—"

"Either way, you'll have to see him for registration. You are new to this town, after all," Mist rambled on. She caught the look of discomfort that had newly unfurled on Raguna's face and hers fell. "You… are staying, aren't you?"

"I…" He couldn't think of an excuse. But he didn't want to lie. "Really don't know."

Mist seemed greatly disappointed about this. "Oh…" she murmured, deflated. "Well…"

"Yeah…"

An uncomfortably silence stretched among them, growing thicker and murkier with each passing second. Raguna was at a loss for how to fill it. To his dismay, Mist didn't bother to.

"Hey, why don't I go meet the villagers?" he suggested in a lilty tone, just to cheer her up. She did.

"That'd be great!" she said brightly. "You go do that!"

He waited for her to start off ahead of him, but it never happened. "Uh…"

She blinked. "What?"

"Are you gonna… come?"

"With you? Oh, I can't. I promised I'd go meet Zavier… sorry."

Raguna immediately felt stupidity wash over him. "Oh, it's okay. I mean, fine."

"Sorry…" she said again, looking like she meant it more than anything. "Maybe… tomorrow, I can…"

"Don't worry about it," Raguna said, smiling as realistically as he could. "I'll just go introduce myself on my own. See you."

"See you…" she said uncertainly. She opened her mouth to speak but Raguna didn't give her a chance to. He walked off, feeling idiotic and embarrassed. Like a child who couldn't show his face in playgroup without Mommy. He was just about to kick a weed in his path when he heard Mist shout from behind him.

"Raguna!!"

He twisted around eagerly. "You can come?" he said, sounding more gleeful than he intended.

"Um, no." She scratched her head. "I just want to tell you, you're going the wrong way."

Raguna turned scarlet. "Ah. Right. I knew that…" he murmured, hurrying in the other direction. He thought he caught Mist gazing at him in the corner of his eye as he brushed past her.

…_Damn her cuteness. _


	3. Trickle

A/N: Here is chapter three. The plot is going along slowly, but come on. It's a big plot. I've advanced to the third section of the game, so I know a lot more about it— but still not _all _about it. Tell me if I get any names or things wrong. (I'll reconfirm this: the story is BASED on the storyline, but I threw in MANY additions in dialogue and events. All characters will be in-role, though a select few will be exaggerated.)

Thanks **Moonlit Dreaming**, **Momo-chan12**, **The Scarlet Sky**, **LittlePastry**, and **HakumeiN** for reviewing.

**Warning/Disclaimer: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline. No language or anything. (I made this rated T for the fantasy violence.)

Enjoy.

A Kardian Tale

For the second time since his arrival, Raguna got up bright and early. This time, however, he didn't sit and wait in bed. He planted his feet to the ground, trying to walk out his fatigue. Nine hours of sleep was normal, but for a farmer it was absolutely brutal.

He made a beeline to the field, dunking his petite watering can in the watering hole on the way. Then he nourished his freshly planted turnips, washing away their thirst with crystal-clear water. Mist had given him the seeds for free. She really was generous.

His tentative smile dropped when water stopped pouring from the can. He knocked at its side a few times, making small droplets trickle out- but that was it.

"How much water can this piece of junk hold?" he muttered. Then he flipped it over and immediately spotted tiny, fork-like holes all over the bottom. It looked more like a cheese grater than a watering can from this view. Making the best of the situation, he tried running to fill the tiny container and then quickly emptying it on each individual plant. And seeing as there were nine plants, and he'd only downed two… that meant seven times of running back and forth, multiplied by two was fourteen. When he was done, he tossed the watering can to the side and heaved onto his butt, sighing. It was no easy task, and the sunrays beating down on his back wasn't exactly making things easier.

He remembered meeting the villagers was his first priority and quickly figured they wouldn't be up at this hour anyway. He made his way to the stream and sat down on the edge of the bridge, watching the miniature currents pull in and out. For some reason, it intrigued him greatly. Had he seen this sort of pristine water source in his former life? Perhaps he'd lived in a dessert?

_Former life_. He only had one life. There was no "former life." Former memory, yes, but no former life. It was best to forget it, but he just… couldn't. White flag raised, he gave up and ducked into his house for some shade and extra sleep. The instant he felt a good slumber sink in, a loud knock on the door arose him. He stumbled out of bed and patted down his hair and clothes, realizing he must've looked dishevelled and terrible.

He opened the door and was shocked to see a plump man standing on the other side. But what amused Raguna most was his attire— a just-fitting red jacket that looked thin and soft as velvet with a frilly, leaf-like collar, a filmy pink shirt with tiny laced pleats snug under it, an emerald brooch the size of his fist smack-dab in the middle of his chest and a purple headband topped off with a green, blue and purple feather sticking out from the side in an odd fashion. The man's wide blue eyes and blonde comb-over complimented his clothes in a strange way. Besides the fact that he dressed like a freakshow, Raguna had to admit he looked like an overall nice guy.

The beefy man shuffled over to reveal another presence. A girl, who looked around Raguna's age, brushed up to the man's side. She had curly navy-blue hair tied up in two tall pigtails with short bangs that met with her perfectly waxed eyebrows. A shiny red ribbon sprouted from the top of her head like she was a big Christmas present- but big didn't seem to cut it, as the girl was slender and curvy. Light blush tinted her cheeks and a hint of mascara to her lashes, complete with a douse of smooth pink lipstick. Clad in a royal pink dress, she looked like a princess— without the tiara.

"Uh…" Raguna uttered, confused as to why they were visiting him at such an hour. He was about to introduce himself, trying not to be rude by asking why they were at his door. But instead, the blue-haired Barbie piped up first, waving a limp wrist in the air.

"Daddy, this place smells of the _old_ omelets Tabatha recently discarded," she said in a high, snotty tone, emphasizing _old_. "I reconsider meeting the new farmer. I believed there would be slight pleasure in his greeting, but he has given me doubts. I wish to go home now."

Her father faltered. "Don't you want to say hi at least, sweetie?"

She shot Raguna a murderous look, making him shrink back in confusion and discomfort. "_Hi_," she sneered, and then hightailed out of his house as if it were made of dung.

The man shuffled uncomfortably and awkwardly for a second before looking up at the young farmer. "Erm, my name is Jasper," he introduced himself as if the offensive scene hadn't just occurred. "That pretty girl back there was my daughter, Bianca. Please forgive her bluntness; she dominates in spades when it comes to being judgemental." His eyes wandered about the house for a moment, making Raguna feel just as tense. "Well, I suppose I'll be going now. I live at the large mansion north of here; drop us a visit if you'd please." Pulling a silk cloth out of nowhere, he fanned it in the air in substitution of bidding farewell and waddled out, leaving the poor farmer feeling confused, annoyed, and twice as strange.

"…If Mist asks, they never came," he muttered, shutting the door and heading back to his canopy bed.

**xoxo**

"What do you think you're doing?"

Raguna awoke with a start. He sat upright in bed and stared ahead, where Mist stood with her hands on her hips.

"What did— how did—" he stuttered.

"It was raining," Mist explained briefly. "And it was boring. I get lonely when it rains, so I came here to see you. I hope you don't mind."

He almost groaned. "It's… it's okay, Mist."

She smiled at him, but it quickly fell. "The next time I come to check up on you, you'd better not be slacking. Got that?" she said in a tough, but soft tone.

"Got it…" Raguna sighed.

"Good."

He shuffled out of bed and rubbed the sleepy out of his eyes before realizing something.

"What time is it?"

"Noon," Mist replied.

Raguna let out a pained breath. That meant he'd only had a two-hour nap…

"Aren't you forgetting something, Raguna?"

He looked up. "Like what?" he asked.

"Like meeting the villagers."

"Oh," he replied shortly. After seeing Jasper and Bianca, he wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. "Uh…"

"Let's go." Without asking for a reply, or expecting one, really, Mist held his elbow and veered him right outside his house.

**xoxo**

"So," Mist began the instant Raguna shut the door (with a meek look on his face), "who do you wanna meet first?"

"Uh…" Raguna droned. He came up with a lazy decision. "What about whoever's closest?"

The young woman nearly chuckled. "You're funny, Raguna," she said. That was it.

Moments later they arrived in town, which wasn't a far distance from his farm. Speaking of which…

"Have you picked a name for your farm yet?" Mist asked.

Raguna was surprised. He'd only just realized… it would be _his _farm from now on. "Nothing comes to mind…" he began, but of course Mist flooded in with suggestions with ease.

"What about Flower Cove Farm?" she said dreamily. "Wouldn't that sound beautiful?"

"Uh, Mist… I don't grow flowers…" Raguna began.

Mist seemed shocked. "Why not?" she asked. "They're beautiful, and delicate, and lovely…"

"Maybe I'll just name it…" His eyes narrowed, hoping to see a blissful look on her face. "Misty Farm."

"Misty Farm?" Her lips puckered in thought. "Umm, I guess that sounds okay…"

His face turned red. She didn't get it. But… maybe she would, in time. "Uh, hey, I see a house coming up," he began.

"Oh, right," Mist said. "That's where my best friend Rosetta works with her dad."

He waited for her to go on, but she didn't. "Is she, uhh… nice?" he asked, for lack of better word.

She smiled up at him before bluntly replying, "Not really. But she gets nicer once you warm up to her."

_Warm up to her? What's that supposed to mean? _

They stepped inside the shop, making the bells above the door clink against each other. The instant they stepped inside, the door swung shut and the chiming ceased.

"Hi Jean," Mist said politely to a man at the counter, who looked in his forties. "This is Raguna. He'll be the new farmer here."

"Nice to meet you," Jean said, nodding at him. "Come here if you ever want to buy seeds or special goods."

"…Hi. I will," Raguna greeted lamely. Amnesia or not, he doubted he was ever good at introductions…

"Where's Rosetta?" Mist continued, easing the silence. "I told her she was supposed to pick up Raguna's shipments from now on, and now she keeps running off…"

"Oh, yeah, she mentioned something like that." He leaned on the counter. "Don't tell her I said this to you, but she's hiding by the hot springs."

"There are hot springs here?" Raguna said, surprised. _Perfect._ Maybe the town wasn't so bad after all. He already anticipated the steamy, hot warmth of the water… funny, how did he remember the feel of the hot springs? It was only just a while ago he was so greatly amused by the stream current…

"Yep. Only the best." Mist headed for the door, feeling like her business was done. "See you, Jean. We're trying to get Raguna to meet everyone, but it's a tight schedule."

Jean smiled back in silent reply, nodding once at Raguna before they departed.

**xoxo**

"One down, a lot more to go!" Mist said cheerfully, and Raguna couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She skipped down the lane, making him barely able to keep up with her.

"Where to now?" he asked, hoping his query would slow her down. But she just kept right on going, possibly even gaining speed.

"The clinic," she answered. "The people that work there are very nice."

"That's a relief…" Raguna murmured.

He opened his mouth to ask for their names when he heard a _crash_. Rushing over to Mist's side, he crouched down before her sprawled body.

"Are you okay?" he said worriedly.

Mist seemed less fazed. "Yes. Just a few scrapes here and there," she said serenely. She sat up and the two looked at the other presence simultaneously, both gasping.

"You!" the silver-haired boy and Raguna gawked in unison. They shot killer glares at each other, Mist looking to each of them with an odd look on her face.

"Do you two know each other…?" she asked.

"Yeah, we do!" the boy snarled, leaning in. "He's the snot-nosed kid who thinks…"

"Hey, stop shoving words into my mouth!" Raguna shot back, ready to punch him square in the jaw. "You're the one who—"

"Yeah, well I don't care what you say, at least I don't think I can get a pass to—"

"I NEVER SAID I WAS—" Neither of them could even complete their sentences.

"Alright, alright, let's stop before fists go flying," Mist intervened angelically.

"Yeah? Well I was just about to leave anyway!" the boy retorted, though clearly he wasn't going to. He gave Raguna a smug, dirty look, looking like he'd launch himself at him. Surprisingly, he merely turned to Mist— and Raguna's face turned to stone when he kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll see you later," he said, clearly just to Mist, and stalked off furiously.

"What…" Raguna could barely comprehend the scene. His eyes locked onto Mist's and she seemed slightly embarrassed. "That _womanizer_!" He barely got the words out; breathless.

"O-oh no… Raguna…he's no womanizer…" Her blush deepened tenfold.

"That's Zavier… my boyfriend."


	4. Mishaps

A/N: Chapter four is up… but duh, of course you know that, you're reading the chapter four author's notes. Anyway, for those if you worried about spoilers, it shouldn't be a worry for you at the moment. The plot is coming along languidly so there's no need to try to play ahead, haha. Note that there _will _be real-game storyline spoilers. I'll mark the major spoilers when they come.

Merci trés beacoup (I so got that wrong)**Taisaya-Ryu, klutz586**, **Moonlit Dreaming**, **LittlePastry**, **The Scarlet Sky**, **snowangel777-16, Momo-chan12** and **Heavens dark harbinger** for reviewing. It's strange because I never expected so many reviews… but you don't see me complaining, haw haw.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon. "Raguna" and "Misty Farm" are default names, in case you're wondering, so those don't belong to me either.

A Kardian Tale

Raguna had never felt so disappointed. He lay in bed, awake, the next morning, envisioning the scene from yesterday afternoon over and over again in his head. He pressed rewind and then forwarded it to when he'd met some of the other villagers… that is, except some people Mist mentioned by the names Tori, Melody, Rosetta, Tabatha, Sharron, Cecilia... there were too many to remember. He knew eventually that he'd end up bumping into them whether he wanted to or not, so that was the least of his worries.

_That's Zavier… my boyfriend. My boyfriend. That's Zavier. My boyfriend. My boyfriend. My boyfriend. Zavier. ZAVIER ZAVIER BOYFRIEND BOYFRIEND ZAVIER— _

"Shut up!" Raguna groaned to himself. He would've smacked himself upside the head if Mist's voice weren't so sweet…

He got up languidly and stretched his arms behind his neck, heading over to the door where he grabbed his tools. Anticipating a hot, sunny day, he stepped out— and wasn't disappointed. Sun beating down onto his exposed body, he felt trapped in its ludicrously gigantic aura. His eyes narrowed towards the door, which was cracked open invitingly. He could practically feel the cool air seeping in and out…

He sighed and walked over to the door, shutting it. Having Mist see him asleep, let alone having her break into his house was one thing he didn't want to endure again. No more napping on the job for him.

As soon as he finished watering the plants, he saw someone approaching him in the distance. The sun shone painstakingly into his eyes as he squinted to make out the figure, assuming it was Mist and waving to her.

The presence stopped for a moment before waving back, slightly awkwardly. Then she made her way over to Raguna slowly, making him cringe when he realized whom it was.

"Oh, hi Bianca," he squeaked. He'd actually been expecting to be able to _avoid _the prissy girl during his stay in Kardia. How come he never got his way? Embarrassed that he saw her mistakenly waving so wholeheartedly at her, he tried to act cool. "Hot out today, eh?"

"I suppose," Biance replied, running her slender finger along her midnight curls. "What do you suppose you're doing here?"

Raguna was slightly taken aback. "I live here," he answered.

"Do you?" Bianca only looked half-shocked. She was silent before adding, "Mist caught you?"

"Mist what me?" Raguna fumbled. He furrowed his brow.

"How many compliments has she showered you in so far?"

"Er… none?"

"Huh." She fiddled with her gleaming topaz brooch before looking back up at him. "How many gifts has she given you?"

"Excuse me?"

Uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading, Raguna took a few steps back and looked over his shoulder, signifying he was going to leave. "Uh, sorry, but I have to get back to work, now." He waited for a snooty response.

But the girl looked distracted, seeming entranced with the field. "You did all that? In two days?" she said, her tone indifferent from her default unimpressed, you-can-do-better one.

"Two and a half," he muttered, shooting her a quick, lazy smile. _Come on come on come on, why aren't you leaving?!_ "Uh, see you?"

Again, she ignored his farewell. "You're better than Camus," she commented. "Silly boy, all he thinks about is Melody…"

Confused, he scratched the back of his neck, starting to get irritated. "Right, so see you," he said a little more forcefully, but again Bianca cut through him, looking from his hoe to his watering can.

"Farmers sure have to be versatile these days," she commented, and he didn't know if it was a compliment or not coming from her flat monotone. "I wonder what our town would do without 'em."

"Er, how many farmers _do _we have exactly?"

"I dunno. Just two, I think. Plus you. Three."

"…Oh." He inhaled his bottom lip and waited for her to say something. When all was silent, he opened his mouth to finalize his goodbye— but Bianca was already walking away.

"I'm going home now. Don't miss my presence too much," she told him, giving him a heartbreaking smirk as she swept past his house and farm and back to her villa.

He merely watched her go as he walked back to the field, irritated and slightly amused. Bianca was a snob, that was for sure… but something told him that maybe she wasn't as bad as he thought she was.

**xoxo **

"Hi, Jean," Raguna greeted the brown-haired man as he stepped into the Material Store. He glanced around the room for any sightings of Rosetta, whom he still didn't know looked like, but as suspected there were none. He oriented himself as he made his way to the counter.

"Welcome, Raguna," Jean answered, smiling. "Busy on the farm?"

"Kind of," Raguna said modestly. "What about you? Er, I mean, is your store busy?"

"Not so much. It's like Rosetta's walked out with all the customers," he sighed, making him twice as curious as to who this Rosetta was.

"Bummer," he offered.

Realizing the new farmer had just tossed in a conversation-stopper, Jean went straight down to business. "Anything I can get for you, or are you just browsing?"

"Oh, I'm just here to pick up some strawberry seeds," Raguna said. "Mist told me they were good spring crops…" He faltered and lost his voice when Jean started grinning. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied, a teasing smile still dancing on his face and lifting the corners of his lips like the ends of a blanket. "About those strawberry seeds, the shipment should come in some time later this afternoon. If your schedule isn't too tight, can you return in a little while?"

He sank into one hip deeply. "How long later?"

"Well, it should be here any minute now. So I wouldn't suspect it'd be lo—"

As if on cue, the door swung open, followed by instant chattering behind two pale hands and a titanic wooden crate.

"Hi daddy, I have the seeds. I don't know why you made me pick them up though, sure I'm shipper but that does not make me liable for being a carrier girl. Next time _you_ pick them up, I'll just handle the counter myself because obviously I'm capable of doing it if you haven't realized it," the girl carrying the crate said, so quickly it sounded like buzzing. She set the crate down roughly by the doorway and looked back up, freezing when her gaze caught Raguna's.

"Erm… hello?"

The girl looked offended. "So _you're _responsible for this mess!" she fired up instantly. "See what you made me do? Now I have to have twice the work!" She paused briefly, her tone sweetening. "Oh, wait, you are you the Mist's new farmer, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah…"

"EXACTLY, NOW I'M GONNA BE DEAD BEFORE MY HEAD HITS THE PILLOW EVERY NIGHT!!" she exploded right at his "yeah."

"I'm… sorry?" Raguna felt no need to defend himself. The girl was a total powder keg. Was it…? "Do you happen to be Rosetta?"

"Yeah, that's me," she said, and again her tone was foreignly gentle. "You're Farm Boy, right?"

"That, or Raguna."

"You are sooo witty, Farm Boy."

Rosetta snorted as she brushed past him, Raguna watching her from the corner of his eye. If he looked closely, she kind of looked like Mist.

Jean, being the third wheel of the conversation, looked around slightly nervously. "Uh… seeds are here!" he announced ineffectually. Raguna slipped him some money before picking up the packets.

"Bye," he called when he reached the door.

Rosetta didn't look at him. "I'll pick up your shipments at five. Don't overload the bin. I actually have to carry all the crap you put in there, you know. Oh yeah, and no putting stinky, slimy, wet, or dirty things inside, got that?" She practically recited the rules, concluding with, "I break my back and you're my newest holocaust, k?"

Partially frightened, he muttered a rushed "Uh, okay then" before departing as quickly as he could from the store.

**xoxo **

Sowing the last of the strawberry seeds, Raguna grabbed a rag from inside his house and draped it over his shoulders, trying to absorb the inhumane sweat that had evoked from his body. Why had he had to come to the town when it was so unbelievably _hot_? He might've been used to fighting monsters, but he didn't feel he was used to the heat…

Speaking of monsters, he remembered the encounter he had with the orc on his first day. _Retornen_, he had heard Mist murmur. What exactly was Retornen? And why were there monsters running loose out there in the first place? For the first time ever, he actually wanted Mist to appear out of nowhere. But he hadn't seen her all day.

Weighing his options, he decided he'd go look for her. It was only, say, three in the afternoon, so he still had plenty of time to wander about. Perhaps he'd meet a few more people, or bump into Bianca again as well.

He headed back into town.

**xoxo **

He veered a left the instant Jean and Rosetta's store came into view, Rosetta's icy face dawning in front of his every corner he turned. Trying his hardest to try and remember not to be on his farm at five PM, he continued down the path until he came across a building with a book in substitute for a sign. He read the sign on the door that said:

**-Kardia Library- **

**Open: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. **

**Closed: Holidays **

_Library_… at least no one would be able to scream at him there. He pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside. Immediately he saw a girl jump with fright, snapping a green book in her hand shut. She had long blonde tresses tied up in twin French braids, bright blue eyes and round-rimmed glasses.

"Um, he-hello," she stammered, her face red as if he had just walked in on her bathing. "Welcome to the, um, library. Russel isn't here right now. Are, um, you…new?"

It took Raguna a while, but he figured he'd get used to her slow, nervous way of talking eventually. "Yes, I've recently taken over Mist's farm. My name is Raguna, it's nice to meet you." For some reason he felt predominant in the presence of this shy girl. He took advantage of this and held out his hand bravely.

The girl blushed before taking it. "My name is… Tori."

"Oh. So do you live here?"

"No, I only… work here. I love books…" Her voice seemed to trail off for a minute, but then she continued quickly. "I-I live at the inn."

"Okay. I'll drop by sometime." He saw her blush again and quickly remembered why he was there. "Have you seen Mist?"

"Um, no… not recently… are you looking for her?" Tori asked.

"Yeah."

"She might be by Carmite Cave," Tori said. "I, um, saw her around there once."

"Carmite Cave?" Raguna immediately grew concerned. Weren't there monsters there? Wouldn't she be…?! "Alright, I have to go find her. Thanks Tori, see you later."

Without waiting for her to say bye back, a lump formed in his throat as he raced out of the library, doors swinging behind him.

He thought he caught sight of Rosetta at his farm gazing over at him, and, chest tightening, that only made him run faster.

**xoxo **

"MIST?!" Raguna shouted as he approached the entrance of the cave, only remembering where it was from his first encounter with Zavier. "Are you there? Mist?" He looked stricken as he jogged up to the entrance of Carmite Cave. "Oh no…" He tried peering inside the cave without actually going inside, but to no avail. It seemed pitch black from the outside. Was Mist inside?

His insides twisted into tight, scraggly knots. She couldn't be hurt…

"…What are you doing?"

He whipped around at the sound of Mist's voice.

"MIST!" he shouted, making her give him a slightly off look.

"Um, hello to you too, Raguna," she said.

His breath evened. "Where have you been? You could have been hurt!"

Mist gave him a funny look, like she didn't know what he was talking about. "What do you mean? I've been at the beach the entire time…"

Raguna was greatly abashed. His features showed it. "The wha'?"

Mist looked worried. "Oh, have you forgotten what a beach is? Is your amnesia really so serious?"

"N-no, I remember what a beach is, but… _you were at the beach_?" His mouth fell open agitatedly. "But Tori said…"

"Oh, Tori," Mist piped up cheerfully. "She told me you'd visited the library earlier today. Then she said you ran out looking for me. That's how I found you. Hehe, I even saw you running past, though I don't think you saw me."

Raguna was out of excuses. His shoulders heaved. "So I went here for nothing…?"

Again, she looked perplexed. "Uh, what are you talking about?"

Maybe it was best to shut up. "We need to talk," he informed her flatly. "About the monsters."


	5. Earthmate

A/N: Chapter five is a little shorter than the other ones. Oh well. Sorry if this chapter seems a little dark, I'm conveying stories at the moment. Also, at one point I realize it's a little rushed. There are like, I dunno, thirty people in the game? I'd rather not have even three chapters devoted just to introductions.

Before you read, I'd just like to confirm that this isn't the "Mist x Raguna" love story as titled. I don't mean to spoil it, but the two will not start dating and calling each other boy/girlfriend. It will **not **be an adventure about the two sappy lovebirds. Raguna has a crush on Mist, and possibly vice versa. That's it. Sorry for any confusion.

Thanks **klutz586, HakumeiN, Moonlit Dreaming, Blaze 909, Taisaya-Ryu, The Scarlet Sky, **and **The Legend of Soul Emblem **for reviewing. Oh, and also thank you to everyone who put me on their favourites/alerts. You inspired this.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the base storyline, OR the characters. No warnings.

A Kardian Tale

"So this is the Spring Rabbit," Raguna observed as he and Mist stepped through a vast two-door and into a semi-large pub. The air was tranquil and everything was spotless— especially the beer bottles clustered together in the back shelf. The tables were shined, and the floor seemed almost waxed, completely free of grub or soil. Tiny ornaments decorated the perfectly angled wall and all the chairs were pushed in neatly. Raguna had never seen a place so sanitary, and… calming. Which was the last thing he would've expected coming from a pub. Funny, he remembered those, too.

He walked carefully through the pub with Mist in tow, not wanting to untarnish the absolute cleanliness of the room. He was soon greeted by a loud, booming voice at the counter.

"Welcome, welcome!" a gray-haired man looking in his early fifties said with a hearty smile. "Mist, is this the new farmer you've been talking about?"

Raguna flushed a little at the fact that Mist had been talking about him. He took a second to take in the man's visage, shrinking a little. If he were to name himself after _this _man… he wouldn't have been able to live it down.

"Yes. His name is Raguna. Raguna, this is Emmett." She smiled pleasantly.

"Right then." Emmett swiped a cloth from under the counter and lavished it against a beer bottle in his right hand, making the clean glass even cleaner. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink, perhaps? Or… oh." His face fell. "Uh, never mind, you look a little too young to be drinking."

Raguna pondered who he was talking to, and wondered how old he was in the first place. He couldn't be that young, unless his face had matured ultra-quickly…

Mist, on the other hand, took his observation into no thought. "We came here to discuss some matters, not to drink," she said firmly, but not in a harsh tone. Then she led Raguna over to a table in the very back and seated herself, gesturing for him to sit down as well.

"So…" Raguna began, the instant his rear touched the chair. He went straight down to business. "Retornen… what is this?"

"Retornen is an enchantment, one way or another," Mist explained.

"An enchantment…?" All along he thought Retornen would be some kind of monster, or a weapon… but an enchantment?

"Yes. It is a spell put automatically on all your tools and future weapons. Put bluntly, monsters cannot be killed."

He felt a hollow pit grow in his stomach. "So they'll be back?"

"No, no." She brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes before continuing. "Their souls get sent to another world. Another dimension. It's called The First Forest. Meaning… you just put them to rest… they won't return, though."

Relief quenched the pit immediately.

"But…"

And dissolved again.

"The generators will keep summoning them, so it doesn't matter how many get sent to The First Forest. They'll still keep coming. The generators all spawn endlessly…"

"Generators?"

"Self-explanatory, really. Generators generate monsters." She bit her lip. "_Fighting _monsters, that is. And for some reason, lately the amount of monsters being summoned have gone up tenfold. I don't know why a fighting monster was summoned, let alone at your farm…" Mist fumbled.

"You mean there are non-fighting monsters?" Raguna questioned.

"You could say. All monsters fight, in the end, but…" Her voice trailed off. "Monsters can be obedient at times. If they have a master. An… owner."

Her azure eyes clicked into his, and he understood immediately what she was implying, not liking the sounds of it.

"How am I going to catch a monster?" he said in a hopeless tone. He almost wished there was no way, just to get out of it. But he knew there would be.

"Tabatha might have an answer for that," Mist replied. "She seems to know a lot about monsters… oh, you haven't met Tabatha yet?" she added when she saw the perplexed look on Raguna's face. "Well, she lives at the mansion to the north of here."

"The…mansion?"

"Yeah. It's Jasper's. He's the town's well-known pi…gastronomist."

He didn't know how to react. Then that would mean _another _encounter with Bianca, wouldn't it? He didn't think he was ready for another dose of snobbiness so soon. Yet…

"I'm going to have to go through this in the end, aren't I?"

Mist shrugged frankly. "Maybe it's an earthmate's fate."

"A what?"

She smiled mysteriously. "An earhmate is a special being who has the power to communicate with monsters. Did you know that at one point, humans and monsters even coexisted together?" He didn't reply, so she wrapped it up. "You'll see, Raguna. If you have the power to capture a monster, maybe you are an earthmate too."

Awed, he watched as she stood up and pushed out her chair.

"I need to get back to my place now. Drop by sometime." She smiled warmly at him one last time before exiting from the store.

_Earthmate. Retornen. Generator._ Staring blankly ahead, Raguna was at a loss for words at the conversation that hadjust ensued.Mist had said the word "if" when telling him about earthmates, hadn't she? So what would happen if Raguna _didn't _have the power to capture a monster? What _if _he didn't?

Then maybe he wouldn't be an earthmate. He just didn't know.

**xoxo **

The remainder of Raguna's week was spent procrastinating. He finally racked up the courage to go and meet the rest of the villagers. That is, except for the odd one out by the name of Sharron, who he couldn't locate. And the so-called "Tabatha."

He refused to admit it, even to himself, but finally he couldn't handle bottling it up from himself anymore. He'd went to go see all the villagers to _avoid _capturing monsters, or fighting them, or even glancing at them. The prowess he'd obtained while battling the orc had dissipated, and he wondered why he'd even felt it in the first place. He didn't _want _to be an earthmate.

Also, he'd been avoiding Bianca's mansion. Who knew what troubles would spawn if he'd brought himself there? He doubted Bianca or Jasper missed him in the first place. No one said it, but he believed everyone thought he'd just be a new face destined to leave after a few weeks. He wanted to prove them wrong, and he really did… but the only way to do that was to… go to…

**Carmite Cave**.

For the third time, he looked into the crouching entrance of the cave. Goosebumps embedded into his skin just thinking of the valor, havoc and terror that lay inside the depths of the cave. And the generators… could those possibly be as frightening as the monsters?

He finally summed up the strength in him to pivot forward. To where, he didn't exactly know. And he didn't particularly care, either, as long as it was far, far away from Carmite Cave. Far, far away from his thoughts.

After a few minutes of incessant walking, he came across a long, narrow pathway and a sign. _Sechs Empire. Entry prohibited. _How many prohibited routes did Kardia have? Again he turned, feeling his chest tighten as he veered a left and entered a marshy area. An abundance flowers and plants sprouted from the edge of the vast spring in the middle, hunching over due to overgrowth. Giant, life-sized leafy lily pads docked to form pathways in the body of water. Some of them led to dead ends, while others to…

He stopped dead in his tracks. Before him was a woman, with long cobalt hair. She was clad in a flowing white dress, black choker visible from her neck. She spotted him immediately.

"Who goes there?" She sounded like an angry evangelist, for some reason… her voice was tainted with vehemence.

"Uh…" What to say? "I'm Raguna, and I just took over Mist's farm, I… hope I'm not intruding anything." His choice of words was weak, and he knew it.

"Oh." She mollified, straightening a little. Then her expression turned civil, yet condescending. "Just a farmer. No worries."

Just a farmer? "Who are you?" he asked, slightly ticked at the title he was quickly developing. "The farmer." "Mist's Farmer." "Farm Boy."

She chuckled scratchily. "Of course you know who I am. But there is something I would like to ask _you_: who has told you about me? Did it intrigue you that much? Did you really want to know, oh so badly, of the 'ghost of Kasimir Ruins'?" Her facial expression seemed to darken with each query.

Confusion dawned on Raguna's face, contradicting hers, in which he couldn't fathom. "What are you talking about?"

She looked at him hard, and finally her beryl eyes grew heavy-lidded. "I see. So you have not come for those rumours. Very well…" She turned to face a cave to her left, this one older-looking than Carmite Cave. "My name is Sharron. I live around here, by the Kasimir Ruins."

So this was Sharron. He looked at the ruins in interest. "You live in a cave?" he said, before he could stop himself. He opened his mouth to take it back, but Sharron spoke first.

"Yes. And it's funny, because caves are thought of to be monster-infested slime holes. They are nothing of the sort. I bet, with the proper tools, you could spend the night in one of these."

Spend the night?

"Oh… I, uh…" It took him a while to soak in all the words. "Well, aren't monsters in the ruins?" he fired back poignantly.

She chuckled again, softer this time. "Of course," she said shortly. Then she disappeared into the deep, lustrous black of the onyx cave without another word.

"Spend the night…" Raguna muttered, mirroring her. He looked up into the dark ebony sky and shook his head, departing from the ruins.

If someone could live there… maybe it wasn't so bad. He sucked in his resolve.

He'd see Tabatha first thing the next morning.


	6. Fluffy Hats and Rich Girls

A/N: Sorry for the… longish wait. I tend to be stupid and leave closed-ended cliffhangers for myself to continue. Nonetheless, here is the latest update. I'm in my winter season right now, and I've come to a final conclusion that… I HATE THIS GAME. It's completely awful and horrible and… ugh. Either way, if you're a diehard Harvest Moon fan, I still recommend it. Back to the story, if you haven't realized, my favourite characters are Raguna, Mist, Tori, and Bianca. Just a heads up. Also, sorry if the html looks awful, ff net hates me and is making everything randmly bold/italicized and stuff and I can't reverse it.

Thank you The Legend of Soul Emblem, klutz586, Blaze 909, DragonDamsel, Taisaya-Ryu, jalm, and Thoughtless7 for reviewing.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own the official storyline, or Harvest Moon, or anything. No warnings.

A Kardian Tale

"So, how are you faring?"

It hadn't even been two weeks, but Raguna was quickly adapting to farm life— as much as he was Mist's impromptu visits from time to time. Unfortunately, it was "the next day," meaning he was anticipating meeting Tabatha for the first time. He wasn't sure of what exactly he'd do once he met her, but as Mist said, "You'll know what to do when the time comes…" well, he only wish he would.

Right now, Mist was sitting on a log meshed into the rest of the debris on the field, watching Raguna work.

"Work-wise, pretty well," Raguna grunted in reply, attention divided.

"That's good to hear." Her eyes drifted up to meet his gaze, and he could almost _hear _the girl saying Tabatha over and over again. He was driving himself insane. "So, when are you gonna—"

"Soon," Raguna interrupted hastily. Hearing her say her name would only make him feel twice as bad if he _didn't _go see Tabatha. It was like this creepy, inexplicit instinct in his gut.

"Really?" Mist's eyes lit up. "Wow, you really are excited about this place, aren't you?"

"Sure," he said, despite the fact that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Who's the lucky girl in mind?"

He looked at her for the first time, setting down his hoe. "What?" he said, an eyebrow quirking up in assistance.

"You're gonna settle down, right?"

"Settle down? Well, like I said before, I really don't know, but I think I'll—" His jaw dropped in realization. If something were in his mouth, then it would be all over the place by then. "W-what?" he sputtered.

"Moving in" was one thing, "Staying there" was another, but _settling down? _He'd never even considered marriage before!

"Sorry, I guess I'm making you uncomfortable with the subject." She pulled her knees to her chest vaguely, but she was still smiling. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

Raguna nodded shyly, finding no better way to respond. Great, now he had another problem on his shoulders. Marriage. He barely knew the villagers, and now Mist was talking about _marriage_?!

"Are you gonna marry Zavier?" he said before he could stop himself. He continued to work in silence but then his question sank in, causing his eyes to grow wide. He opened his mouth to wholeheartedly take it back when Mist spoke.

"I don't know. Zavier… he isn't really the husband type, you know?" she ventured.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah…" Raguna felt confusion pang into him once more. Mist was saying this about Zavier? Her boyfriend? He couldn't take away the nagging voice in his head that said he was pleased to hear her say such a thing in the end. Not that it mattered, because he really didn't.

"Don't tell him, but…" Right when Raguna was dangling on the edge of his seat, she stood up. "Well, see you later!"

Again, he was dumbfounded. Somehow she always tended to leave at the worst times— whether it was mid-sentence or right before she was about to explain something.

"See you… I think," he added when she was out of earshot. _But what?!? _Now he was going to get worked up all over again.

_But what? _he thought again once he'd finished tending to the plants. But was he a bad boyfriend? A devious smirk rose to his lips. Or was hotshot about to be _dumped? _

His smile fell instantly at the playback of Zavier kissing Mist on the cheek. As much as he hated to admit it, there was no chance…

_Wait. _He enumerated all the girls in Kardia. Eight so far, to be exact. He'd be expected to _marry _one of the _eight_. It was insane. Upon first meeting with each of them, he'd expected a friendship, not a relationship, let alone MARRIAGE. The M-word crawled into his throat and stuck itself there, making him feel uncomfortable all the rest of the morning.

At noon, he finally glanced up at the sky, suppressing a sigh. It was time to meet Tabatha, or whatever. There was no more stalling. No more procrastinating. Now or now. He forced himself to walk into town, murmuring words of encouragement into his own ear.

An uncharacteristically large building came into view as he turned a corner, clearly six times more gigantic than any other house in Kardia— including the mayor's house. Twin angels encrypted in stone statues stood rightfully by the wide doorway of the mansion, perfectly carved. Such a magnificent house seemed entirely out of place surrounded by all the other lower ones that all bore the same design. Standing before the building felt all wrong— but he knocked on the door anyway.

After a couple moments, he knocked again when he heard no response.

"Come in!!" Jasper's voice rang from inside.

Raguna suddenly felt stupid; as _if _someone living in a house so large would hear his tiny knocks. He tried to lightly push the door open, and again his stupidity struck him. He tried shoving violently at the heavy door until it swung open, much too loudly. Before he could even scan the contents of the marble-coated room, Jasper hurried up to him.

"Ah, so you've decided to pay us a visit!" he said, beaming. His voice echoed loudly off the neverending walls. "Would you like some tea? Coffee? Any beverages? Pineapple daiquiri? Oh, where are my manners? Come in."

Raguna stepped into the mansion, letting the doors swing shut behind him at dangerous breakneck speed. He cringed for a moment before muttering a word of thanks.

"Ah, where was I?" Jasper continued, orienting himself by smoothing out the invisible wrinkles of his cardigan. "May I get anything for you? We have designer water."

Raguna faltered slightly. "Oh, actually, Sir I'm here to see—"

"Oh, call me Jasper!" He grabbed his hand and shook it frantically. "No need to get all formal with me!"

_The handshake. The water. The mansion. _"Of course I'm not being formal," Raguna said, trying to make his voice sound as sincere as his thoughts.

"Right, now, would you like anything?"

This was his chance. "Yes, I've actually been meaning to come for a while," Raguna began timidly. "You see, there's someone I'd like to see by—"

"Of course you are!" Jasper interrupted before he could finish, looking exuberant. "Let me get her for you, if it's no trouble." Before Raguna could even open his mouth, Jasper let out a glass-shattering yell. "BIANCA!!!"

"N-no, wait!" Raguna sweatdropped, shaking his head heatedly and violently. "What I meant was, I'm here to see—" He couldn't even get the words out.

"Yes, yes, now let me get her," Jasper coerced once again. "_BIANCA!!!!_"

"No, please, wait!" Raguna now begged. His heart spun and his ankles pulled gravitationally towards the door. He stood his ground weakly in the clearly losing battle.

"Ah, there she is!"

He sank into his gut, feeling his life dangle loosely on a thread when a door on the upper level wrenched open, Bianca emerging from it.

"Yes, Daddy?" she said, obviously in a forced polite tone. She tailed down one of the two carpeted staircases, coming to a halt when she saw Raguna. "Well, well, if it isn't the boy who took over Mist's farm."

His face felt hot. An angry retort rose to his throat, but realizing Jasper was still in the room he forced it away. "Hi, Bianca. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said ruefully, she too unnerved that her father was watching them with round eyes. "Daddy, would you please resume doing whatever it is you were… doing?"

Jasper nodded, looking unfazed. Then he headed back up the stairs without another word.

"So you came to see me?" Bianca asked the instant the door shut behind him.

"What? Uh… actually…" He caught the sudden wisp of rage flicker in her eyes and covered up quickly. "…Yeah." _What the hell am I saying? _

"Oh." She didn't even try to conceal the look of exasperation and suspicion at her flank. "Well, hi." She took a step back. "Anything you want to say to me?"

"Err…" Discomfort hung over him like a wet tree. For some reason, the words were trapped in his throat. He uttered a submissive, "…How are you?"

She shot him a pathetic look. "…Fine."

"That's… good…"

She folded her arms, speaking after a full ten seconds. "Alright, you suck at lying, what do you really want?"

He seemed shock by her sudden outburst. "What…?"

"I know you aren't here for me. So, what do you want? Liquor? Money? Food?"

He felt angry that Bianca would speak to him as if he were a beggar. "No, no, and no," he answered harshly. "I'm here to see Tabatha." Then he let out a gigantic breath, as if a burden were lifted off his shoulder by the angels standing guard outside the mansion.

"Tabatha?" Her eyes squinted, sending the resolve to his objective back another six steps. "What do you want with Tabatha?"

"I just want to see her," Raguna fumbled, unsure as to why she was suddenly acting all protective. "If it isn't too much trouble."

At this, Bianca looked offended. Her eyebrows descended angrily. "Answer my question: What do you want with Tabatha?" She spoke with authority, firmness, and bitterness all at once. Raguna had to wonder if her tongue was always coated with such malice.

"I want to meet her," Raguna said, his tone rising as well.

"What if she doesn't want to meet you?"

"Then we'll have to go see her to find out."

"Tabatha is busy." This was said with high defiance, but false sincerity.

"No she's not," Raguna retorted, feeling an irritated ember in his body combust.

"Yes she is!"

"No she isn't!"

"I'll say it once more: _Tabatha is busy_!"

"Tabatha isn't busy! You just don't want me to see her!"

"Then don't see her!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!!!!"

On cue, the door swung open, a lady with a large fluffy hat emerging. She caught sight of the two bickering people by the door and her eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Hello!" she greeted, beaming at them, Raguna just barely catching sight of Bianca groan.

**xoxo **

"Oh, so you came to see me?"

The three were now sitting on barrels in the cellar for privacy, Raguna taking in the smells of sweet cider and beer. He was careful not to touch anything in case Bianca might freak out on him— she refused to leave the two alone, for some reason.

"Do you happen to be Tabatha?" Raguna questioned, glancing around. When he caught Bianca's eye, he quickly looked back at the large-hatted girl.

Something about her was weird. Not her voice or personality, or anything, but… it was that _hat_. He couldn't pinpoint it.

"Yes, I am," she said. "And you are?"

"Raguna." He decided not to add his usual suffix of "I've taken over Mist's farm", he was sick enough of the title already.

"It's nice to meet you, Raguna." She bowed her head slightly, fingers wrapped around the hem of her hat tightly. "I am Miss Bianca's maid, and I live under the hospitality of her and Mr. Jasper."

At this, Raguna was shocked. Such an uncharacteristically nice girl lived with _Bianca_? As her _maid? _His teeth grinded against each other at the mere thought of Bianca ordering her around. _Go fetch my book. Go get me a glass of designer water. _And she'd even called Bianca hospitable, technically. She had to be either insane or lying.

"Is there a reason why you've come to see me?" she asked, her voice slightly dipped in nervousness.

"Yeah. But, it's kinda private," Raguna said as casually as he could make his voice sound, extra careful not to look at Bianca, whom he knew was glaring at him.

"Then why don't you say it?" Bianca asked, more sweetness conveying her tone.

"It's really private though…" Raguna ventured.

"I'm sure Bianca will keep it a secret," Tabatha intervened.

Raguna held in a sigh. It was no use. "You see," he began, "a while back, on the first day I moved in here, I was attacked by a kind of… fighting monster. Mist explained to me about Retornen and souls and The First Something already, and…"

"The First Forest," Tabatha said, nodding. "Go on."

He felt a little more comfortable considering Tabatha knew what he was talking about; so he wouldn't have to explain it. Already he was having trouble _understanding _it.

"She told me, that I could possibly obtain the monsters' trust or something, and I could own them. She said, that maybe you'd have an answer for me, if I ever was an earthmate that…"

At this, Bianca burst into crude laughter. "You! An earthmate!" she repeated snidely. "Don't make me laugh… oh, too late!"

Raguna reared up to fire an angry rebuke at her, but Tabatha's voice coincided theirs. "It is a possibility, Miss Bianca."

Her mouth fell agape. "Oh, Tabatha…" she fumbled, in a gentle voice Raguna had never heard her speak in before. "Come on, _this _kid? He's only fought one monster so far, as _if_…"

"Miss Bianca, it is very, very possible." Tabatha brought her attention back to Raguna, eyeing him seriously. "If this is true, then I might have something that will assist you. Please wait one moment." She started off up the stairs, her footsteps fading as she ascended to the upper level.

Bianca and Raguna sat in cold silence, refusing to glance at each other.

"Don't think she's just being nice to you," Bianca's voice sounded into the abrupt silence, "she just… pities you."

Raguna looked at her wearily, also noticing how the topic about monsters had gotten Tabatha all touchy. He searched his mind for something to say and found nothing, slumping back against the barrel.

A few uncomfortable minutes later, footsteps sounded once more and again Tabatha came into view. She was holding a long box in her hands, blanketed in worn dust and cobwebs.

"Oh, Tabatha, no!" Bianca cried out, causing Raguna to shoot her a look. "You barely met him! Don't do this…"

But Tabatha ignored her. She set the dusty box on Raguna's lap. "Open it."

He did as he was told, lifting the lid of the box delicately. A single black glove lay forgotten on a velvet cloth. He took it and looked it over profoundly.

"This is a Friendship Glove," Tabatha explained. "Stroke the wild monsters with it, and when they realize you are safe… you may tame them. Be warned, this doesn't work on higher-level monsters… or generators, for the matter."

By now the room had gone silent, the only movement occurring being Raguna staring at the enchanted glove.

"So is Retornen put on this too?" he finally said.

"Are you stu—"

"No," Tabatha cut through Bianca, "the Friendship Glove will not kill a monster."

"Well… thank you," Raguna said, unsure of why a total stranger had just handed another total stranger such a valuable merit. "I'll put it to good use."

"Be careful in Carmite Cave, okay?"

"…Okay." He stood up, eyes not once taken off the glove. "I guess I should get going now. Thanks…"

"No problem. Just be careful which monsters you choose to tame. Have a safe trip back to your farm, Raguna," Tabatha said politely.

Raguna waited for a split second for Bianca to bid him farewell, but she remained silent. He walked out of the mansion without another word, freezing when he took one step out the threshold.

"I didn't tell her I worked at a farm…" he said slowly. His voice faded and died.

Bianca.


	7. Carmite Cave Again

A/N: Um, WOAH. I really didn't know people actually read these notes. I seemed to mislead quite a few people when I said I hated this game… no, I am not pressured to continue this story, I'm not writing this for the sake of Harvest Moon, and I'm always bored, lol. I was just saying I hated it because I was frustrated at one point in the game, so don't get me wrong, I got past that point and I like it again. So don't worry… nothing's up. By the way, the plot is FINALLY going somewhere, so woohoo.

And in reply to your query, Fushica, this WILL follow the ending, however I won't be writing that for a long, long time, considering I'm merely at the second last cave myself. Again, don't worry, spoiler tags will be placed in the disclaimer and before/after segments.

Thank you Thoughtless7, The Scarlet Sky, The Legend of Soul Emblem, Unfunny Joke, Moonlit Dreaming, jalm, Fushica, Blaze 909, and Taisaya-Ryu for reviewing. Hurray for 40 reviews :D

(Sorry for the long a/n, I'll end it here). Oh, and for those of you unhappy with the length of the chapters, I try to make up for them with frequent updates. Lately I've been cranking to make the chapters longer, but I can't entirely control how long I make it. Then again I can, but it's less natural if I do, you know?

**Updates will no longer be as frequent; school starts September 4. **(LAST NOTE, I SWEAR).

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline. Language.

A Kardian Tale

It was time.

Two days and six deep breaths later, Raguna stood by the entrance of Carmite Cave in the bitter wind of the night, like he had several times before, suctioning a breath. Of course he still didn't want to go in, and of course he still wasn't keen on the capturing-monsters-idea, but… now, he was actually starting to feel slightly _pressured. _Mist was relying on him to go in the cave. Tabatha was relying on him to go in the cave. Bianca would think poorly of him if he didn't go to the cave. (And possibly if he did go in, too).

"Maybe it's fate," he said aloud, just to calm his senses. "Maybe everyone believes you are an earthmate…" The word had just rolled off his tongue.

He waited for someone to pop out of nowhere and tell him to keep dreaming because he was an idiot, as they had done so many times before. He waited for Zavier to jump out of the clearing and start a name-calling fight. But no one was there but him…

The moon shone brightly above him, as it did every night, Raguna looking up spitefully. Then he readied his body and positioned it stiffly towards the cave. With a few shimmies, he was in proximity of the entrance. He could already feel the cave air embedding into his skin— one more step… closer, closer…

Almost instantly, another male decided to dash out of Carmite Cave, colliding with Raguna. Raguna's position offensive, it sent them both flying forwards into the cave. Splayed out on the ground, Raguna bolted up, unsure of who in the world would be inside Carmite Cave at this hour. To his unruly dismay, it was no other than…

"Zavier, what the hell are you doing here?" Raguna demanded, teetering to his feet.

"Same thing I'd like to ask you!" He shook a gray tress out of his eyes before continuing. "A _real _hunter stays in the cave to his whim! There's no limit for a _real _hunter!"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up!" Raguna grumbled. He put his hand back and was met with a cool, rough contact with the wall. He turned slightly to face it, heart sinking when he saw the rocks against the cave dome. "We're inside…?"

"What do you think?" Zavier replied sarcastically.

He ignored the boy, taking a tentative step forward and glancing around in awe. Unlike outside, nothing was starlit, no moon was reflecting off it with a pale aura… Inside was damp and the air was thick. The array torches chained to the walls offered light, yet it was dim and weak. All around was covered in rocks, rocks, rocks… His eyes landed widely on a wide stream.

"There's a stream in here?" he said, disbelieving.

"Well, you gotta take a piss somehow," Zavier snorted, earning a glare from Raguna. "You gonna ditch or what?"

At this, Raguna felt his pride rear up. "Actually, I was just coming in myself before you came into the picture. I'm staying."

Zavier stared at him placidly in the eyes before sighing. "_Look _at you," he finally said.

Raguna looked down at his feet, then back into Zavier's heavy eyes. "What?"

"You don't even have a weapon, you idiot. How are you gonna get through this cave without a weapon?"

A heavy feeling sank into him. "A-a weapon…? But my…" He glanced half-heartedly at his hoe.

"You're not expecting to, what, punch at all those monsters and generators, are you?" His tone went low. "They'll rip off your fists before you even get to them…"

Raguna scowled. "Okay, that's disgusting."

He shrugged. "It's true though."

The two were interrupted by a howl rippling through the air. Feet hit the ground instantly to the north, crunching into the rocky platform loudly. They both turned to see…

"An orc!" Raguna cried.

It had been the same monster he'd seen on his arrival; the notorious orc. Its body was still covered in leathery skin, which remained a ghastly khaki colour. Claws divided a line between fingers, and fangs from lips. It took a ferocious step toward the two, but Raguna wasn't looking at it… he was looking at what was _past _it…

"Is that a generator?"

Zavier raised an eyebrow. "So you've heard. That, my not-friend, is what summons all those beasts…"

And in the flesh, but technically metal, the generator stood solidly and firmly at the other side of the cave. A blue orb was suspended between two metal poles at the top of it, electricity-like currents whipping though the orb. It was at least six feet high with a wide circumference, but looked surprisingly… hollow inside.

"What the hell are you being all daydreamy for?" Zavier yelped into Raguna's ear, which twitched. "If you can't tell, the frickin' orc is coming right at us!"

Raguna's head snapped in the direction of the monster, which indeed was rounding dangerously close to them. He tightened his grip against the hoe in his right hand and raised it at the beast.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zavier shouted again, making Raguna glare at him violently.

"What now?!" he snapped.

"Don't tell me you're gonna fend off this thing with a farm tool! You're stupider than I thought!"

"I did it before!" Raguna fired back.

"Oh, shut up! Watch how a _real _hunter does it!" Zavier grabbed at a hidden handle in his belt and brought it out slowly, revealing an iron blade from his sheath. It glistened against the dull walls of the cave as he brought it to his front, knees bent professionally.

"Oh please," Raguna muttered at the broadsword-wielder. He looked slightly disheartened as his focus redirected to his hoe, but shook it off.

But his cynical state of mind was interrupted when the orc charged right at them, knocking Zavier right against the cave wall before Raguna could even react. His helmet smacked sickeningly against the ground and his sword swivelled far to the side. Raguna felt his breath catch as the orc turned to deal with him.

This wasn't supposed to be happening…

His eye caught once on the friendship glove stuffed contortedly into his belt buckle, but he pushed away the desire of capturing the murderous creature.

He tried to get the same feeling he'd gotten at the farm. He tried to get his instinct to surge to his thumbs, to his weapons, he wanted to defeat the beast… but his body remained indefinitely in its position. He almost felt paralysed.

The orc lunged at Raguna, who spiralled to the ground to dodge. It crashed into the wall and then jerked back around, readying for another breakneck attack.

Raguna watched weakly and fearfully, numbness crawling into his skin. He'd felt powerful and brave and strong the first time… was second time not the charm? The hoe throbbed weakly in his hand and his breath grew heavy. The orc leapt at him again and he made a slow dodge. The hoe was knocked lifelessly out of his hand.

"No!" he uttered. Making a desperate attempt to crawl and grab the hoe from his position, he was dragged back by ten claws that dug painfully into his leg flesh. Kicking at the orc, he jumped for the hoe, and instead of grabbing it, his wrist knocked it forward… and right into the stream. "_Shit_!!"

The orc was now standing over him, looking triumphant. It raised a foot to the centre of his body, but almost instantly, Raguna's eye caught Zavier's fallen broadsword. He swiped it thoughtlessly, and when the monster's foot came down he brought the blade and shoved it up its entire leg. It screeched earsplittingly into the air. Raguna took this as an opportunity to get out of the way.

Jumping to his feet, he made a mad dash for the generator, the orc hobbling after him. He raised the broadsword like an axe, thrashing it down right from the top down. An explosion sounded, catching him off-guard and sending him right back against the wall, unconscious.

**xoxo **

Raguna was roused by a needle being injected into his arm. He cried out pitifully as it was immediately yanked out, panting for breath. Everything felt hot, and his forehead was sweaty, and his ankles were numb…

"Are you okay, Raguna?"

He looked up, eyes meeting with Doctor Edward, then to Lara, the young nurse, behind him. His eyes shifted wearily around the clinic before landing on his white scrubs and countless bandages.

"I'm fine…" he noted sincerely. The recent scene struck him. "Is Zavier dead?" he asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

"Zavier is fine. In fact, he was already released, considering his wounds weren't very serious. He was wearing a helmet, you see."

Raguna braced himself for a lecture but one never came. He tried to ignore Zavier and couldn't help but feel slightly proud, awaiting compliments and glory. After all, he'd finally went inside Carmite Cave. That was what everyone was waiting for… right?

Then Lara spoke, and he almost felt himself smile.

"That was a very stupid thing you did, Raguna!" she said, making him jump. She was just worried about him, wasn't she…? "I can't believe you went into that cave!"

Oh. So his brave deeds had shocked her.

"I knew I had to sooner or later," he said with a modest shrug.

"Now, I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Lara," Edward intervened. "What in the world were you thinking?"

Ah. He was enjoying the glory, very much in fact.

"Sorry," he offered.

Edward shook his head. "You know what, it's actually a relief though…"

Lara nodded. "I know. It's a good thing Zavier saved you on time!"

At this, Raguna's mouth fell open in shock.

"WHAT?"

"You know, when you got attacked by that orc, and he used the broadsword to destroy the generator…"

"W-w-what?! N-none of that happened! That was… me!" he sputtered, words slurred and incoherent. He would've leapt to his feet if he hadn't been wrapped in bandages.

Lara looked unfazed as she looked back up at the doctor. "Will he be okay, Doctor?"

"Of course he will," Edward replied sincerely. "Zavier carried him out before he could receive any serious injury."

His head fell back against the pillow before Edward could finish, deadpan.

_THAT ASSHOLE!!!! _

**xoxo **

The next day, after several more injections and blood-drawing and pillow-cursing, Raguna was released from the clinic. Still in his hospital clothes, he slumped as he left the building, muttering a goodbye to Edward and Lara. As soon as he stepped outside he was bowled over by a strong fury of wind, and then rainfall. On the way back to his farm Nicholas and Cecilia, or Ceci as preferred, the only children of Kardia, rushed past him.

They stopped immediately when they saw Raguna.

"Hey, Raguna! Are you okay?" Nicholas exclaimed. "I heard what happened!"

"Were you hurt really bad?" Ceci asked.

"I'm fine," Raguna muttered.

"Why the glum face?" The two remained by his side as he walked, even though they were heading in the opposite direction and rainwater splashed against their faces.

"Rumours," Raguna grunted, not up for a conversation. He gritted his teeth as he thought of Zavier. If only he knew where he lived… then he could kick his sorry little—

"We heard," Ceci piped up in her soft voice. "Zavier's such a mean liar."

"I know!" Nicholas agreed. "What a loser, spreading things like that."

At this, Raguna came to a halt. "You mean, you don't believe the rumours?"

"Of course not!" Nicholas protested. "I've never liked Zavier anyway!"

Spirit rose into his heart slightly, so he said, "How many people did he tell so far?"

"I dunno, but I'm guessing Edward, Lara and his mommy," Nicholas sniggered.

"Hey!" Ceci exclaimed. "Maybe if we tell Mayor Godwin that it was you who saved Zavier, things don't have to end so badly!"

Raguna raised an eyebrow at the young girl, who beamed at him from a few feet under. "We?"

"It's a rainy day; it's not like we have anything better to do," Nicholas shrugged.

"C'mon, won't your mom get mad if you catch a cold in the rain or anything?"

Again Nicholas shrugged, so he decided to stop pushing it. It was already a gigantic favour… coming from two little kids.

"I have to get back to my farm now, so thanks," Raguna murmured.

"No problem. We'll update you in a jiffy!"

And as soon as they arrived they departed, Raguna feeling a bit happier than from his stay in the hospital bad.

**xoxo **

The instant Raguna opened his front door, he was knocked over by another presence. He let out a shriek as arms wrapped around his neck, but they died immediately when he saw who was hugging him.

"Mist?" he said, bewildered.

"Raguna!" she cried, her voice muffled against his wet shoulder. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so scared, you know!"

He patted her back awkwardly. "Well, I'm okay…"

"I can't believe you went into the cave! I never thought that… well, I never thought you would!"

"I—"

"I'm so glad Zavier saved you…" she continued to say.

Raguna pulled back angrily. "Zavier didn't save me!" he bellowed, feeling that if anyone was to know the truth, it would be Mist. "It's the other way around! _I _saved _him_!"

Mist blinked. "…Of course," she finally said, making Raguna feel like punching a hole through the wall.

"I'm serious! He spread a rumour about it! Ceci and Nicholas are going to tell Mayor Godwin now; no one saved me!" he ranted angrily.

"Raguna—"

"He did! The orc hit him, and he fell onto the ground and I used his broadsword to defeat the orc because my—" His throat caught. "The hoe fell into the stream."

At this, she looked completely taken aback. "The one I gave you?" she demanded, seeming more fazed by the fact that he'd lost the hoe she'd given him than the fact that her boyfriend had been tossed to the ground by an orc.

He nodded guiltily. Mist bounced back, releasing him from her coil.

"So it's gone… forever?" she said, sadness wispy in her eyes.

"I can, uh, get another one though," Raguna said hastily. He almost clamped a hand to his mouth. What was he saying?

"That's a relief. I would be devastated if we didn't have any hoes here…" Mist's expression told differently. She actually looked… pissed?

There was a brief silence.

"…What are you doing in my house?" Raguna said finally.

I just wanted to see if you were okay…" Mist said, looking offended. "Why do you have to question me every time I come here? It was my house before it was yours."

Already he wanted to change the subject, but she was getting up.

"Obviously you don't want me here so I should leave," she told him coldly. The hoe thing really had ticked her off.

Raguna sighed again. "Mist…"

"I watered your crops for you while you were gone," she said, making a beeline for the door. "They should be okay, but don't expect me to do it ever again."

"Mist!"

The door swung shut behind her, raindrops pattering into his doorway. Dejected, he slammed the door and wrenched himself onto the bed, yelling a few colourful words into the ceiling.


	8. Egam Dnarg

A/N: Here's chapter eight. I'm soooo sorry about the delay. I guess you're expecting an excuse now; I got three. 1. School/social life. 2. Writer's block… er, writer's laziness. 3. My Internet died. Oh, and I don't mean to ask for tech help, but I suck with computers. Does anyone know how to open your firewall settings? o.o

Back to notes, I know this hardly makes up for the time gap, because it's so effing short, and a filler if you'd like to label it. But I'll make up for it. The next update will be wayyy sooner… I promise.

Thank you to all who reviewed, I appreciate every single effin' one: Taisaya-Ryu, The Scarlet Sky, klutz586, crescentbellflower, The Legend of Soul Emblem, Blaze909, Fushica, jalm...

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon, or the italicized bit at the end. Mild mature (nothing explicit) content, only if you have a dirty mind.

By the way, you know what I find hilarious? "Sechs Empire." Come on, say that out loud. I beat the game yesterday (Year 2 Spring 23, haha) and I finally learned how to pronounce it. Ah.. I'll shut up now.

A Kardian Tale

_A hoe. A cheap, rusty hoe. A farming tool. That's all it takes to piss her off. _

Raguna sighed into his pillow, uncaring that he was beginning to suffocate. He'd awoken just moments ago, still facedown, agonized for being roused from dreamland.

How had he thrown himself into this mess? All he had wanted to do was go into Carmite Cave, to prove to everyone that he was _something_. And now, he was nearly less than nothing— at least, that was what it felt like after Zavier ripped him off.

The position he was in was also laughable and pathetic. He was presently depending on two little kids, not even twelve, waiting for them to disperse the _real _word. Looking back, only six words came to his mind: _What the hell was I thinking? _

If he thought about it, however…what was the real word, really? He'd gone into an amateur cave and slain one monster. That didn't sound like a town-hero's job… it sounded like an armed-traveler's job. But that was what he was anyway. An armed traveler… without anymore arms. His hoe was gone, and Mist was mad— delirious, more like it.

Now all he could do was wait.

He rolled over in bed, finally letting himself inhale air. Eyes squinted glaringly, he snapped them shut and awaited a long, heavy sleep. He didn't have the pride to show his face at the moment. And his stupid plants? They could wait.

After all: Mist had watered them.

**xoxo**

Blatant, resonant rapping against a solid, wood door.

Despite how many times people had decided to untimely knock on his door, Raguna could never adjust to it. His body jolted automatically, coming up in an erect position. He threw off his covers letting some not-so-nice words seep out of his mouth quietly before trudging over to the door. The rain still relented ever so heavily yonder the four walls of his house, the humidity causing his hair to stick out in all directions.

He opened the door lazily, barely able to suspend himself on his two feet. "Hi Mist," he grunted, his head hung towards the ground like a dead man.

"Whatever. Can I come in?"

Either his hearing was slowly becoming impaired or Mist was an expert ventriloquist. That didn't sound like her at all.

But of course, half-dead Raguna was yet to realize this.

"Uhh-huh."

He stepped back, eyes one sixth of the way open, pushing his body completely against the door to shut it after the figure had stepped in. He proceeded to slide impassibly onto his butt when a strong force pinned his arm against the wall.

"Look, buddy, we need to talk."

"S'wha'?" Raguna slurred. He peeled his eyes open succinctly and jerked back as if a flaming pan had been set before his nose. "W-what are _you_ doing here?"

"Isn't someone slow!" the girl scoffed. "Now sit down or something! You've got some talking to do!"

"But this is my hou—"

"SIT. DOWN. NOW."

Raguna plopped against a chair resolutely, gulping when the girl drew closer and closer to him.

"You went into Carmite Cave?" she hissed, practically into his ear. "You are stupider than I thought. And, trust me, kid, that's a whole lot."

Raguna stared at her incredulously as she pulled back and began pacing.

"Did you use the glove? The Friendship Glove?" she demanded, stopping immediately. "Did you?"

"Um…no…"

"Good." She looked like an enormous burden had been lifted off her shoulders by angels. She faced him and extended a firm palm. "In that case, I'll let you get off easy— Now give it back."

"W-what?"

"Give the Friendship Glove back," she rephrased, growing impatient.

Raguna shrank back into the chair. "But I was gonna…"

He didn't get a chance to finish.

"Give the glove to me now, or I'll have to take it from you," she said through gritted white teeth.

He stayed put, trying to accumulate the little defiance his sleepy self could sustain. But she pushed right past his fading aura of intimidation.

"Where is the glove?!" she said, shooting him a cutthroat glance. "_Tell me_!"

"I-it's in my belt," Raguna was forced to sputter, earning a gobble at his manliness.

The girl dove immediately at the strap around his waist, but Raguna shot back quicker, knocking down the chair.

"You're not taking off my belt!" he yelped.

"I said I'd use force if I had to!" she shouted back, pouncing at him as they fell upon the bed flailing. "Give me the glove!"

"No!" Raguna gasped, edging away as she clawed at him.

"GIVE ME IT NOW!"

"NEVER!"

She made another grab at the glove, this time landing itwith ease. Just as she was about to draw it back, Raguna yanked it out of her grasp.

"I need it!" he shrieked, pocketing it once more. "LET GO!"

"NO!" She snatched it back for the umpteenth, unintentionally undoing his belt as it fell to the ground.

"Give it!" Raguna swiped at the merit Tabatha had so kindly given to him, but she pulled it out of reach.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" he bellowed, his patience simmering.

"Make me!"

"Give it to me! GIVE IT!"

"Nev— hey! Give it back!"

"No!"

"GIVE IT TO ME!"

"_You _give it to me!"

Impulse pounding, Raguna shoved the glove onto his hand.

"What are you doing?" the girl yelled. "Take the glove off! Are you trying to prove something?"

Raguna glared at her. "No!" he snapped, relaxing into the sensation on his right hand. It felt fuzzy and warm, and absolutely comfortable… it made a certain tinge on his body. A funny feeling. An inducing urge…

Until it was yanked at.

"TAKE OFF THE GLOVE!"

"GET OFF!"

"Take off your glove first, and then I'll get off!"

"No!"

"Shut up and give it to me already!"

The door flung open, Mist standing shock-still in the pouring doorway, looking as if she'd been there for more than a few mulling seconds. Her eyes darted and landed on Bianca and Raguna, who were on top of each other wrestling on the bed. Her eyes fell upon Raguna's belt, which lay loosely on the ground, and then averted to an overturned chair that had collapsed to their right. She took a slow, shaky step back, trying not to put three and one together plus the voices from inside.

"Wait! Mist! It's not what you think!" Raguna protested airily. He shoved Bianca off of him and leapt to his feet— his slack pants falling off in the process.

That very instant, Bianca bolted upright and dashed out of his house wordlessly, leaving Mist in the threshold looking bewildered.

Raguna, red-faced, yanked up his pants, ignoring Bianca completely. He bent down to pick up his belt, causing his pants to plummet to the ground once more. If possible, he purpled, his hands moving rapidly until his pants were up and supported. _Oh dear god._ When he looked back up, Mist was giggling.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh…"

She stepped inside anyway, shutting the door behind her. She was soaked skintight, no doubt.

"Pretend this never happened?"

"…Deal."

"Alrighty." She cocked her mouth open as if forgetting her purpose there. Then she smiled. "Well, for starters, Raguna, I've come to tell you that I'm sorry about earlier." Her sentence started out apologetic but ended bitterly. "Even though it was _your _stupid fault for losing my damn hoe! Do you know how much I liked that thing? It was practically an antique, I had it for _forever_! I worked so hard to get it and then you had to go and fu— anyway," she finished tenderly, Raguna's eyes wide with shock. "I know Zavier wasn't telling the truth about him rescuing you."

"Ah— kay… then…" he spoke, slowly. Mist. Swearing. His brain couldn't gear upon that well.

"Nicholas and Ceci ended up going around and telling everyone the truth. Naturally, Sabrina and Russell and everyone freaked out when they went home with sniffly noses. They've been confined to their beds for now, and they told me to tell you… 'mission accomplished'." She giggled again.

She was _giggling? _After nearly cussing her head off?

"That's great to hear…" Raguna started. The words digested and finally he reacted. "Oh! They did? That's great! What happened to Zavier?" The last four words he could not help but blurt out.

"He was grounded. No Carmite Cave for Zavier for three weeks," Mist said, as if she were reciting off a paper. "Serves him right, for playing a joke like that."

Raguna's blood boiled. "A joke? He lied! To everyone! Even the doctor! That's barely a joke! It was a… trick! A dirty, rotten trick! Plus, all he does is get _grounded_? What a momma's b— that's dumb," he finished hastily.

Mist stared at him until he sighed indignantly. "Continue."

"There's not much to say…" Mist ventured. "Oh, but I brought you a consolation present."

He glowered. "A what?"

Mist rummaged through her backpack momentarily before "Ah!"ing.

"Here we are," she chirped, motioning for him to hold out his hands. She set a healthily-sized glass container into his palms. A bubbly, greenish liquid sloshed around inside. "It's a bottle," she interrupted before he could question. "Well, I know that's kind of obvious, but there's no fancy name for it. It's just… a bottle. And when it's empty, it's an empty bottle."

Raguna laughed slowly. "What's the green stuff?"

"Liquid, of course." Mist beamed at his exasperated expression. "You drink it, and ta-da! It heals your wounds! Just like magic!"

Raguna couldn't completely comprehend what she'd just said. "Uh, magic?" he repeated.

"I didn't tell you about magic yet, did I?" Mist asked.

He shook his head.

"Well… you can cast magic," she pointed out. She giggled again as he raised his eyebrow. "You can get some spellbooks at the library. Maybe those can teach you how to cast some certain spells."

"I can cast spells?"

"Maybe, if you're an earthmate."

Oh, joy. Again with that.

"And if I'm not?" he murmured.

She shrugged. "I don't know. You can still be an earthmate. Just one that's really sucky at casting magic."

"Wait; you mean _anyone _can cast magic?"

She smiled. "Of course, Raguna!" she said, brightly, as if it were just so obvious. She shuffled through her bag's pectinate contents once more, this time pulling out a dusty old book. It looked very eighth-century… like a modern antique. "Watch!" She tugged on his hand and led him to the door, opening it slowly.

"What am I watching here?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Wait, wait," Mist said, waving him off. She concentrated on the yellowed pages before looking up confidently. "This is…Uh… well, just watch. Um..._Egam Dnarg_!"

Instantly, flames encircled her hands, causing Raguna to yelp and fall back. She ignored him, deep in thought, before thrusting forward and sending a furnaced red orb lashing out from her possession. It whipped ahead with breakneck speed, exploding off in the distance.

"That's a fireball," she told him as she shut the book firmly. The fiery aura in her hands died immediately. "You can master it too, eventually."

Raguna's mouth fell agape, scrambling to his feet instantly. "_I _can be able to do _that_?" he stuttered.

"Of course, silly bill," Mist said, depositing the spellbook. "With practice. Remember: practice makes perfect!" Her voice trailed off. "I guess I should tell you now. There are a lot of different types of magic. There's fireball, water beam, stone spike, quake, medication, you know the deal."

Then she withdrew another book, even older-looking this time. She handed it to Raguna.

"What's this?" he asked. He noticed a familiar orb on the cover. "Retornen?"

"Raguna, how many times do I have to tell you? Retornen is an enchantment," Mist reminded him, as if reprimanding. "That particular spellbook is for casting _teleport_."

"Teleport?"

"Yuppers! Go ahead and try it." She skipped towards the door. "In the meantime, I have to go home now, so you have fun!"

Raguna waved half-heartedly, as if he were swatting at a mosquito. His eyes were glued on the perpetually dusty cover of the book.

"What exactly does Mist do at home, anyway?" he said aloud when the door closed behind her. He shrugged off the thought and sat down on his bed, opening the spellbook slowly. At the same time, a vandalized page slipped out, words scrawled out in messy cursive. He read it in his head.

_A magic book by Grand Mage_

_Egam Dnarg: "Escape"_

_Escape from dungeons._

"Escape…" he repeated slowly. "What's this…? _Egam Dnarg_?"

And before he could react, his entire body erupted in a whirlwind, suspending him from the ground. He let out a final yelp before his body dissipated into thin air, with not an eyelash to remain.

**xoxo**

**After-read Spoilers: **Okay, lol, I honestly felt cheesy writing that o.O


	9. Wilt

A/N: A week… oh wow, it took me a week. I'm sorry. I have no idea what's gotten into my updating-ness lately. This chapter isn't particularly long, but I like it, so… well, hopefully you don't find that much fault in it, haha I got a Harry Potter-vibe from the last chapter, which I greatly disliked… this chapter better be original, lol. And guess what? I finally got married! (SPOILERSISH: Mist didn't give me a good lunch/ENDSPOILERISH) so I ended up marrying Bianca. GO BIANCA!

Oh, and I've noticed that several people have written questions in reviews regarding game information/FAQ on RF. Go ahead and ask, I don't mind answering.

Thank you The Scarlet Sky, MyShadowsThorn, Taisaya-Ryu, Blaze909, The Legend of Soul Emblem, Fushica, and Forty Two42 for reviewing. Really. This was one of my "eh" stories to begin with, and I wouldn't continue without support. (Uh, in case this triggers any misleading comments, I'll still be continuing even if you all ditch me… XD oho, so don't ditch me.)

LAST NOTE OF OVERLY-LONG A/N: Chapter/story completion/statuses are displayed on my profile, but if I ever go on hiatus (doubt that'll ever happen) I'll just tell you here.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **Don't own Harvest Moon or main storyline.

A Kardian Tale

The first thing Raguna noticed when he fell from the air was that he was awake. And breathing. Not a big surprise, but considering he'd just performed something incredibly overwhelming and astonishing… he'd have to make sure.

The second thing he noticed was he'd just made magic. Teleport. It was frightening, but on his very first try, he'd just _cast a spell_. He didn't know whether to be jubilantly blissful or heart-wrenchingly terrified. Because as his wide brown eyes scanned the landscape surrounding him— he didn't recognize a thing.

And the third: everything was dark. Not dim-dark, but pitch-black dark. He held his hand to his face to test if he could recognize the lines that ran through it. However if he squinted, he still wasn't able to make out even a pinky or thumb.

Acting on his first instinct, he tweaked his knees until he stood upright, yet still bending over slightly. It was an awkward, insecure position.

"Hello?" he called lowly, as if a hunter were roaming in the room next over searching for him as he tried to remain unheard. There was no reply. "Helloo…?"

Small drips were heard to his left, so he took a cautious step forward. Then another, out of suspicion. The ground rippled from beneath him… was he standing on water?

_Drip. _

"Hello?" he repeated, in a whisper this time. He took two more hesitant steps and a loud bang penetrated the silenced air. He tripped back, startled, but landing on his two feet nonetheless.

He wasn't alone…

A near roar sent deafening sound waves crashing against Raguna's exposed ears, resounding off his surroundings. An even nearer quake of footsteps drabbled his direction and then the air was veiled with a silvery vapor. Its hue deepened to a scorching orange, withholding Raguna's breath. The infection of embers trickled a perfect frame of the beast that lay behind it.

Visible from where he stood, the first thing that caught his attention were the inhumane, egg-white pair of eyes that leered into nothingness. He traced the visage in which the eyes belonged, finding thick, curling horns on each side. Its face was half-masked by a mane of fiery red hair, with iron shackles fastened around one of its wrists. A rusted, ripped chain dangled loosely from it, coiling all around its claws and demon-like wings. Coal-black skin sealed the creature's vehement, turmoil soul.

Its very presence terrified Raguna to no end. He closed his eyes without intention, gulped in the dank air, and opened them again. However, that very instant, the demon was gone, and replaced by another whirlwind of air. His surroundings and head spun, and finally he was released to the ground with a _thud_.

He didn't bother to even blink as he stood up and jerked his head from side to side to familiarize his surroundings.

He was in a room. With lights. It wasn't dark anymore, the monster was gone… was he trembling?

"…What are you doing there, Raguna?"

He jumped, pre-shaken by the image of the beast. He snapped around, almost expecting to see another disfigured fiend before him. Instead, Emmett, the aforementioned bartender of the Spring Rabbit stood at the top of a wooden set of stairs. He looked as if he'd just seen someone thrown up— and, coming from the growing commotion coming from the upper level, that was a distinct possibility.

"Where am I?" Raguna asked, feeling as if he'd been put into new skin. He scanned his palms; he saw lines…

"You're in my pub," Emmett answered slightly irritably. "The cellar. I have no idea how you got there, and I don't mean to be rude, but could you get out?" He gestured above to the ground floor. "Neumann and Sabrina got into a drinking contest, and it's up to me to break them up. So if you don't mind…"

Raguna nodded, as if unable to comprehend the scene. A few empty moments passed.

Emmett blinked. "Well? Come on!" he ushered when Raguna remained, actually taking him by the wrist and leading him out.

The instant they'd touched the top landing, Emmett had separated himself from him to attempt to intercede with the two slurring, hiccupping adults. He gave up after a while, realizing they were both too drunk to negotiate. He settled the opposition by collecting all of the alcohol bottles in the facility and stowing them away. Emmett then declared he'd be closing early that day.

Raguna shuffled out of the pub, half-caring that he'd just been kicked out. Only one thing occupied his mind that moment. That… thing… back there. He could almost _feel _the beast behind him once more, breathing down his neck, sending icy needles through his spine. He shivered and tried to extract the image from its very existence.

As he came across an intersection of the road, he looked up at the imprinted sundial of the skies. Oh well. It was too early to head back to his farm anyway. He headed to the library, where he murmured hellos to Tori and Russell (and reassuring to them that though he was pale and sweaty, he was _fine_) and bought a spellbook— "fireball." Then, he paced all the way back to his farm, where the air started to swell humidly.

"I'm beat," he said to absolutely no one in particular. He stepped inside the house, the monster's nephilim body engraved into his head like stone. Then he looked up and almost died, forgetting it for the first time.

Farming manuals were ripped off the shelves and strewn over the floor, pages inky and scattered. The tablecloth was wiped clear off the table completely, which lay overturned above a three-legged chair. His bed was ruffled and appallingly-made.

He… he'd been robbed!

His mouth fell open listlessly. Who in their right mind would rob Raguna? Maybe he'd earned more of a title than Farm Boy… heck, Farm Boy was starting to look like a crown of merit compared to what some crazy person out there thought he was!

…To make matters worse, there was a giant shatter in the window— what the hell was the point of _that_?

He rushed into the centre of the room, searching the bare walls for clues. What did they steal? Who robbed him? What _was _there to steal? He hadn't even resided in Kardia a month, what could he possibly have possessed that anyone would…

_Of course_. He fleshed his pockets inside-out frantically. Bianca wouldn't actually have…?!

His glove-adorned hands fell out of his pocket, deadpan.

The Friendship Glove… was gone.

**xoxo**

His feet pounded thunderously as he waded out of the house, door slamming sickeningly loud behind him. Raguna's eyes glaringly forshadowed his disturbing path towards _Bianca de Sainte-Coquille_'s adoring mansion. This visit wasn't going to be a friendly one… in fact, friendly was _far _from the act he was planning to pull.

He was soon in proximity of the large building, and the twin angels that glided at its entrance. He gave them the finger and launched the door open, not bothering to knock this time as he stormed inside. As usual, Jasper was standing fatly in the middle of the room like egg yolk.

"Where's your daughter?" Raguna demanded the instant their gazes met, unable to keep a calm tone. _He'd kill her…!! _

"Ah, Bianca! Yes, Bianca!" Jasper boomed heartily. "Yes, in fact, that young girl was just talking about you this morning! It was rather sudden, seeing as—"

"Where is she?!" Raguna interrupted aggressively, in no mood for chit-chat. "I need to see her! Now!"

"Yes, yes, like I said, this morning after she was eating for breakfast, she had decided that she would like—"

"No! Just tell me where she is!"

"But I am in the process of explaining the procedure she went through in the midst of deciding whether or not—"

"_AAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH_!"

Jasper looked slightly taken aback. "Bianca is not upstairs," he called as Raguna took off to her room on the second landing, much composed compared to the young man.

"Then where is she??" Raguna roared, getting entirely sick and showing it.

"She's in town," Jasper continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Has been all day."

"All… day?" Raguna stopped in his tracks. "So she was never here?"

"I suppose that is the definition of it," Jasper answered amiably, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

His shoulders sagged. "So she… she was never… he-here?!" he repeated, without quite realizing it.

Jasper nodded, and a pang of embarrassment hit him. "I'm really sorry, Sir," he stumbled out.

Jasper waved it off with a limp wrist. "No need for an apology, no need. If you really want to see her, though, you should go check with Tabatha to see when she'll be back."

"Where is Tabatha?"

"She should be by the marshy area near Danaan."

He was dumbounded. "Duh-wha'?"

Jasper chuckled, as if he were witty and hilarious. "By Kasimir Ruins? The place Sharron the Ghost resides?"

"Oh… yeah, I know where that is," Raguna responded hastily, in too much of a hurry to defend Sharron. "I'm gonna get going now."

He began to jog, stopping as he touched the threshold. "Sorry about the… mix-up…" he said meekly.

"Yes, like I said, no problem! Go on, go on," Jasper ushered. He watched, in awe, as Raguna disappeared from view— forgetting to shut the door.

"What a funny guy," he remarked a few seconds later, to absolutely no one.

**xoxo**

"I got worked up… for nothing…" Raguna moaned into his open palms. Yet, somehow, he didn't completely agree with this.

Bianca wanted the Glove back. It was obvious. She'd even broken into his house and wrestled him for it— then again, he'd let her in… but it wasn't his fault he was half-asleep!

Who else would want the glove? Who else would _know _about the glove?

Raguna felt goosebumps ooze against the nape of his neck. The idea of someone spying on him was unnerving… yet he couldn't shake the feeling…

He'd repaired the atrocious damage done to the house a while ago. While he could not rearrange the ruined ink of the books, nor could he summon another wooden leg out of his disarmed chair, _or _mend the glass of his damn window— everything else was put back as perfectly as possible. At least, the point where no one would realize anything _else _had happened, with the small exclusion of above.

A few hours ago it had begun to rain, on his way back from the mansion. He had no choice but to turn in for the day… not only did he not want to get sick just after being released from the clinic, but for other reasons as well.

How would Tabatha react when he told her he thought Bianca had broken into his house and stolen the Friendship Glove from him? From the looks of Bianca's face upon his contact against the quality leather, he knew it wasn't pleasant. Something about that glove had some connection with her and Tabatha… and she didn't want him near it.

But why _not_? They could trust him, couldn't they? After all, he'd slain two monsters, and cast a spell. Pretty good for someone who couldn't remember the light of summer.

Ah, summer… summer would be coming around the corner soon. According to his calendar, it was spring 22nd. He had a vague memory of the season of warmth though… he could almost feel his skin basking against the shining sun.

But rain was coming down quite heavily now, crashing down his hopes of heat. Or sun. He was trapped inside, with nothing to do but wonder. Wonder who broke into his house, wonder why Bian— _someone _would do such a thing to begin with. His hands somehow found the book he'd carried back from the library on his nightstand.

He curled against the bedpost, and, seeing as his pillows were preoccupied clogging the opening in the window, he'd have nothing comfortable to lay against. Nonetheless, he switched on his lamp and read. The origination of Fireball, the creation, the history, the creator… funny, both that spell and Teleport seemed to have been started by Grand Mage.

Grand Mage… Egam Dnarg… ah. In case of memory lapse, he could always remember that.

The pitter-patter of the rainfall seemed to fade away outside as Raguna found himself completely absorbed in the book. Before he knew it, all was dark, and not even his lamp could offer much light anymore. He tucked the book under his head, in substitute for a pillow, and switched off the light.

For now, he'd have to wait.


	10. Irony

A/N: Okay, this is a very "eh" chapter. I was in a jolly (lol) mood while typing this, but halfway through I started to feel melancholic. So the perspective is slightly, uh… ironic, if I have to pick a word. Deemed another filler chapter, but I promise I'll find some way to advance soon. A lot of people seem to think Bianca stole the FG… did she? Yes she did. Not. Or did she? o.o

Thank you Forty Two42, Momo-chan12, Taisaya-Ryu, jalm, The Legend of Soul Emblem, Moonlit Dreaming, and Blaze909 for reviewing. Sorry if I can't get around to replying, I get mixed up because I always forget who I replied to and who I didn't…

(Ew, I did a Word Count, and my A/Ns take up over 3000 words in total. Should I start cutting them down?)

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline.

A Kardian Tale

It was the next day, and Raguna couldn't take it anymore. He just felt too stuffed up.

He pulled on a heavy, _heavy_, may I emphasize heavy, old coat he found stowed awaysomewhere in his cabinet, deciding to go out and search the town building by building for the precious Glove. He was already panging from guilt, and he didn't want the sensation to last any longer. He buttoned up the worn coat and hurried off into the twisting rain. Luckily it was raining still— if anyone were to come his way, he was certain he'd accidentally spill his dark secret.

Just as he was hurrying into town, he gave a slight turn of his head and shrieked when he looked at his plants. They were dead, wilted, and utterly _destroyed. _Shaking his fist impassibly to the sky above, he tried to dismiss it— at least postpone his worrying for later— and ran all the way, not stopping until his feet touched the Town Square. He may as well search the town beginning from its core.

He ducked under the benches and scanned the tiny gap below it, his thick coat weighing him down like stone. Then he trudged left to right, peeking through rows of bushes and flowers. At last he gave up. The Friendship Glove was nowhere in sight.

Sighing, he continued down the road for the next destination, and the next, and the next, all to no avail. It was as if the Glove had disappeared from existence— his existence, anyway.

He froze when he heard someone calling his name. Not technically his name, however, but he was certain they were referring to him in the very least.

"Hey, Farm Boy," an all-too familiar voice called. He turned around and was met eye-to-eye with Rosetta, who jogged up to meet him. She was clad in a thin white rain-jacket. "What are you doing out here in this kind of weather?"

Raguna chose to avoid her question. "What are _you_?" he disregarded smartly.

"I had to go to Camus's to drop off a shipment of stuff he ordered. Turns out he wasn't even there." She snorted indignantly. "Wuss."

"Oh. Of course." Raguna shifted uncomfortably, especially when she shot him a lazy glance. It was as if everyone could see right through his skull, and into the hidden secrets of his mind… he was cracking, piece by piece, and he knew it. He had to end things quickly.

"Well, it's been nice gloving, I mean, friendship, I mean, seeing you," he babbled listlessly. "But I guess I should be going now, haha, crops to tend to, people to see, places to meet, hahahaha…'

_Walk. Just walk away_, his innermost voice commanded, forcing him to thrust himself away from Rosetta. She looked like an onlooker of a train, sending chills down his spine.

"Where are you going?" she questioned, making him jolt. She was… following him.

"Home, where else would I be going, why else would I want to?" he jittered, bursting into nervous hysteria when she looked him in the eye.

He was BREAKING now… just one more word, and everything would be revealed…

_Walk. Walk. Walk._

But Rosetta was practically attached to his hip, pacing beside him harmoniously.

"Why are—"

"I SWEAR I DIDN'T LOSE THE FRIENDSHIP GLOVE TABATHA GAVE ME!" His hands flew to his mouth at the very spoken words.

_RUN! RUN! RUN! _his mental warning blared.

Rosetta stared, looking bemused. "Are you high or something?" she asked flatly.

"No, I'm fine. I just was looking... NO! I wasn't looking." He searched the landscape for an escape. "Hey, look, _rain_!" It was the first thing that came to his head. He pointed exuberantly, causing Rosetta to turn her head. Then he slipped far from view, running until he got back to his farm. He dropped to his knees as he reached his dilapidated farmhouse, groaning against the wooden floorboards.

"…Hey Raguna!" an abrupt voice chirped, causing him to jolt violently.

"…Mist, what the heck are you doing here?!"

She explained briefly, "Oh, you know, I was bored, and it was raining, so I thought I should come here and visit you. Hope you don't—"

"— mind, I don't," he interrupted feebly. Then he collapsed onto his bed. "…Bleh." That was all he could say.

**xoxo**

Lady Ann, the innkeeper, looked up the instant Nicholas and Ceci came hurrying inside the kept building, annoyed from being disrupted from her reading-hour. She put down her novel and let out a sisterly gasp when she saw they were dripping wet from the rain outside.

"What are you kids doing in here?" she demanded, abandoning her post to tend to them. She put her hands on her hips as she awaited a reasonable reply, more annoyed by the fact that they were contaminating the just-mopped floorboards rather than how they might catch hypothermia.

"We… were… running," Nicholas gasped, he and Ceci panting like stray dogs. He paused for emphasis. "We were playing… at… the beach. Started, to… rain. Got… wet."

"…Your point?"

"My house was locked," Nicholas continued, slightly irked that his story wasn't getting the attention he wanted, "and Ceci's is kinda… _far_. And this is the closest place from the beach, besides Leo's, but he's a blacksmith."

"And that matters why?"

Nicholas shrugged. "He scares me."

Lady Ann stared at the two children, as if they were puzzling to her. To her, though, they were leaning more on the annoying side. She swept over to the door and shut it briskly, then turning to face the two once more, ceding.

"Fine, you can stay at my stupid inn," she growled. "Just don't run around or track mud anywhere. And take of your da… darn shoes."

"Wooo! Score!!" Nicholas hooted, but Ceci remained.

"Are we allowed to go upstairs?" she asked, with her default innocent, small-child, cutie-pie façade in session.

"Sure, whatever," Lady Ann said, flicking a limp wrist at them. "Zavier's problem, not mine. Lazy kid is the only one around here without a job…" She muttered to herself as she returned behind the counter, picking up her book, and only after a few moments did she realize Nicholas and Ceci were still standing wetly by the threshold. "Well, take off your muddy shoes and get upstairs!" she snapped, hustling them instantly.

The kids jogged up the stairs, whispering to each other the entire time.

"I wonder if Lady Ann has marshmallows," Ceci pondered aloud. "Maybe we could eat them while we dry in front of the fireplace."

Nicholas wallowed in the allusion. "Marshmallows? Heck yeah. I want hot dogs and burgers too."

Ceci giggled at this, causing Nicholas to blush and beam all at once. However their fantasies were interrupted by a light snickering coming from one of the upper rooms. They followed the noise, coming to a halt before the doorway.

The snicker repeated itself, followed by a hearty roar. Then derisive cackling that sounded like gagging through a tube, and then a high-pitched giggle soon afterwards. They peeked in simultaneously, stifling snorts when they saw Zavier posing in front of a full-length mirror. Now his hands were on his hips, a slight pout on his face. Then an enormous, Jasper-like guffaw escaped his lips fakely.

Ceci was first to blatantly break the ice. "Uh, Zavier, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to hold her laughter in.

Zavier whipped around, noting their presence for the first time. "Nothing, I was just—" His eyes widened at the fact that he'd just been caught in his hysteric masquerade. "I w-w-was…"

"Trying to teach yourself how to laugh?" Nicholas sneered, remembering the incident about all the rumours he had spread and remembering his hate towards the frivolous boy.

"No," Zavier shot back defensively. "I was just… practicing my victory laugh." Ceci thought she heard an echo: "_Yeah… my victory laugh._"

"What victory? Against the closet monster?" Nicholas was quite enjoying himself.

"Nooo. Victory of when I finally find a treasure in the _Carmite Cave_!" A concave laugh exploded from his lungs, causing the kids to cringe.

"No offence, Mister Zavier, but you can do so much better," Ceci said through a giggle.

Zavier glared at her. "Just you wait, I'll make an amazing find before you know it. I'll invest it and be pouring in millions. I'll buy a mansion bigger than Bianca's!"

Nicholas pierced through his bubble of spectre of ambition with ease. "Aren't you, like, grounded from going?" he said in his most innocent, cutest voice.

"Well, yeah, but I'm just making _plans _for when I can get back." He scowled furiously. "How do you brats even know I was grounded? Is Mom saying things again?"

"Yeah, we heard her muttering about the time you got knocked out in Carmite Cave and Raguna had to come to save your sorry butt," Nicholas fired back, smirking when Zavier cocked his mouth open but no words came out. A few thoughtless moments past, tumbleweeds drifting through his head, and finally he waved his arms madly in the air. "You two are annoying!! Get out!!!" he hollered.

Nicholas and Ceci burst into importune laughter as they raced back downstairs. Lady Ann caught them with a mock glare, snapping her book shut.

"Where are you kids going?" she said, her tone tied between exasperation and acrimony.

Ceci pulled on her shoes. "We're going—"

"—back home, thanks for keeping us," Nicholas filled in hastily, not wanting Zavier to come down and start a commotion.

They exchanged single glances and fled from the inn guffawing without another word. Lady Ann stared after them, her glower turning into one of an eye-roll.

"…So _why _do children even exist?"

**xoxo**

Sheepish laughter exploded from Raguna the instant silence settled into the room. When Mist stared at him, he shut himself up automatically, gearing his in the other direction, his face a nice shade of red.

"…So," Mist broke the ice, in a much more tactful way than Raguna, "what's your favourite vegetable?"

Raguna was unsure if this was her idea of a pick-me-up. "Uh, I don't know, you?"

"Turnips, for sure." She sighed dreamily. "They're so juicy and yummy. I could live off eating turnips."

"…Right." He shuffled awkwardly. "…I guess my favourite is… uh… corn?" Did he even remember what it tasted like?

"Corn, huh?" Mist's facial expression seemed to darken noticeably, earning another forced hee-hee from Raguna. "That's Rosetta's favourite too… corn on the cob."

"Are you guys, uh, friends?" Raguna offered when he found nothing else to say.

"We used to be." Mist shrugged off the slight profile of contempt. "I don't know. We haven't talked in a while."

"I saw her just a while ago," Raguna bleated before he could stop himself.

Mist eyed him. "Did you? Where? Why? What did you say?"

"Uh…" _As long as it'll lead away from the Glove topic… _"I was heading back from the Town Square and she was heading back from Camus's and…"

"Why were you at Town Square? Why was she at Camus's? Who was first to initiate conversation?!"

Raguna sighed.

_Just cooperate… _his mind muttered.

**xoxo**

In the meantime, Zavier was upstairs in the cozy inn, oblivious to the fact that he'd been responsible for Raguna's cataclysm of a misadventure. He slammed the door, disallowing anymore visitors, cursing to himself back in his room. He did a bellyflop and landed on his bed so hard it creaked for mercy. Lady Ann yelled at him from downstairs, and after apologizing with terror, he pulled something out from beneath his pillow.

"Not even two dumb kids will find out." A mischievous glint appeared in his eye as he stroked the leather material cradled against him. "Sure I'm grounded, but… if I can't have any fun, then Raguna can't, either."

After a long, hard stare, for the first time he gave slight thought regarding how the new farmer could've gotten his grutty hands on such a fine item. Shrugging, and not extensively caring, he deposited the Friendship Glove back to its hiding place, sighing with contentment.

Damn, he rocked.


	11. Gold Hilt

A/N: I actually had this chapter done on the twenty-fourth (same day as the update of chapter ten) but I delayed it. This chapter takes on a particularly darker perspective, but grasps a much lighter one eventually. Credit goes to **Momo-chan12 **for the idea at the beginning about the (insert spoiler). The plot is advancing! Also, I'm sorry if my foreshadowing is poor and vague. Quite sadly to say, I don't plan ahead, and I don't edit while I'm in the midst of writing an in-progress story in case of confusion. I'll try to make the best of what's there, though.

Thank you MyShadowsThorn, Forty Two42, Momo-chan12, The Legend of Soul Emblem, Taisaya-Ryu, and Blaze909 for reviewing. I can't believe I reached over 70 reviews. I thought I'd need to write a gazillion chapters to get that, lol. You guys rock.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline, or the names of the weapons at the end.

A Kardian Tale

Raguna was very nervous. Little crickets, bumblebees, and a whole abundant residence of crickety insects made festivities in his stomach. He smoothed out the invisible crinkles on his sleek, black tux, and then brought up a hand to straighten a real white rose pinned to the fabric against his chest. Then he tugged on his cherry-red bowtie, which was constricted rather tightly around his neck. In just a matter of moments, he would be experiencing holy matrimony.

The music started to play. Hymns chorused through awaiting ears, and Raguna stood, his back to the alter, beaming towards the door and glass window scriptures against the walls of the church. The door swung open, and an elegant figure stepped in, clad in the most gorgeous white dress imaginable. She wore a thin veil and was crowned with a tiara of white lulus. Her face was hidden as Nicholas and Ceci danced behind her, showering the heels of her silvery shoes with pink petals.

Finally she arrived in front of a grinning Raguna and they faced each other, the two children scrambling away. Reacting on total instinct, Raguna reached forward and whisked off the cloudy veil. He expected to see Mist's beautiful face; she had discussed marriage with him, hadn't she? Didn't that mean something?

But instead of fawning thin, silky, gray-blonde tresses, his vision was compelled by unmistakable, crimson blue, midnight curls. A mascara goddess fluttered her eyelashes delicately at Raguna, but instead of kissing her he screamed.

"BIANCA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he shouted, scrambling back.

Bianca began to weep, but her tears dissolved into blood. "WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Her voice sloped into a deep one; one deeper than Emmett's. Then her body started to grow rapidly, in size and width. Her gorgeous dress was ripped off due to the impact as her entire body turned a disgusting shade of burnt charcoal. An unforgettable mane of red, flaming hair appeared. Finally the demon from the teleportation arose once more, roaring deafeningly into the church halls.

Blasts of fire and wrath sent the elegant white curtains to soot. It flailed recklessly and hollered inept screeches until every window in the district shattered. Its tail whipped and came down hard against the occupied pews, splitting them clear in half. It breathed another hellfire of spiralling eruption and the soft, ivory keys of the prized church organ was depleted to broken bits of incomplete semitones.

In that very instant, the music died. The people died. Everything died.

The demon reached forward, and flames devoured his soul.

Raguna died.

**xoxo**

Raguna let out a strangled cry as he sprang to life, gasping and clutching unintentionally at his heart. Beads of sweat rolled incessantly down his skin, which shone a sickly pale colour. Knowing it was a dream, but fearing it all the same, he clambered out of bed just to find that Mist had fallen asleep on the ground. He stretched out and stepped over her on tiptoe, breaking to a run the instant he'd made it past her.

He dashed outside, overcome by the foreign glow of the sun. It was still very early out, and the sky wasn't at its full brightness yet, but it was blinding enough to make him squint.

He weaved through his farm, past his dead crops, and past the rocks, logs, and weeds sparsely littered through his living establishment. He stumbled all the way to the clear pond area, by Kasimir and Danaan, dropping faintly to his knees at the foot of the pond.

Not caring of the bacteria and germs that swirled inside the water, he cupped it with his hands and sent it flying to his colourless face. He let out a strained breath and splashed more water against his skin, taking a few gulps of fresh air. It was reality now. That was a dream. It was reality now.

"Raguna. That is your name, am I wrong?"

He looked up with a jerk, panting when he realized it was only Sharron standing in his wake. He shook his head, at a loss for words.

"It's early." She looked up to the pale sky, as if exaggerating this. "What are you doing here?"

He withheld his breath momentarily. He didn't want to think about it… let alone talk about it with someone he barely knew. "Nightmare," he muttered briefly.

"Nightmare," she repeated in a gentle, almost soothing voice. To his surprise, she walked over and crouched down beside him. "Do you know how easy it is to tell when someone is lying?" Her voice was toned low now. "You look like you've seen the Greater Daemon or something."

Raguna looked up, not bothering to assess he truly had a nightmare. "The Greater… Demon?"

Sharron shook her head. "_Daemon_. It is a god and ancient deity… _apparently. _The Greater Daemon is a beast that is rumoured to live in the heart of Carmite Cave. It's been so long since someone actually went exploring there— besides that pompous runt, Zavier or something— but it must be true."

Raguna panted, still shaken from the hellish dream. "Sh-Sharron," he said, his voice patched with cold shuddering, "tell me: what does the Greater Daemon look like?"

"Hm." She looked out into the distance, evoking inner thoughts and memories. "From what I've heard… it is very, very large. It has rough, leathery skin, black as the night sky."

Raguna gave her a look to continue when she turned to face him, so she nodded acknowledgingly. "Glaring yellow eyes, and heavy burgundy hair. Horns thicker than those of Buffamos, and claws as sharp as the fangs of wolves. Bat-like wings; scrawny ones." She blinked. "Frightening, if you ask me."

Raguna nodded, barely taking in anything after 'glaring yellow eyes.' He remembered all too clearly the flashing yellow orbs that burned into his. It was just confirmed. He'd seen the Greater Daemon… he'd _seen _the Greater Daemon. He wanted to get up and walk away, but he felt bound to the grassy field.

"Does it have some sort of… power? Psychic power?"

Sharron seemed surprise by the personal question. "Actually," she said, sounding piqued, "it's also rumoured that the Greater Daemon can send telekinetic waves straight to people's dreams and minds. That's all I've heard. I read it in a book: no explanation, nothing…"

"How do I get rid of the dreams?" Raguna hadn't even realized he'd just told her about his dilemma. He didn't care though. He had to know.

Luckily, Sharron complied. "Simple. You kill it."

His jaw dropped with a tweak.

"It's true." With one swift movement Sharron stood up, her lunar eyes looking soft and sympathetic. "I'm no swordsmaster myself, Raguna," she told him in an almost shy voice. "But if you want anymore information… you're free to come see me." She looked up, wistful this time. "The Ghost of Kasimir Ruins doesn't get much time to converse with actual people."

Raguna nodded, dismissing a word of thanks. He got to his feet and walked all the way to town without another word.

He knew what he had to do.

**xoxo**

"Yar!!!"

Leo, the elfin blacksmith of Kardia, leapt back the instant Raguna burst through the doors of his shop, scarce of invitation or warning. Still sweating, he practically flung himself at Leo over his red-hot forge, clutching uncharacteristically at his sweat-stained collar.

"I need a weapon," Raguna said, with a rushed indifference in his tone. "And I need it _now_."

It was a good thing the shop was empty otherwise he would have caused an uproar. Leo tried to peel off Raguna's clammy hands, but that only made him tighten his grip. Leo chose to reply.

"A weapon? Why would you need a weapon?" he questioned with a heavy accent. He received the deadly glare Raguna shot into him and scowled, not liking to be taken for granted. "Tell me why, and then maybe I'll forge one for you."

Raguna recoiled, releasing the old man's collar and pulling back. "I have to finish something off." Then he counted his words, realizing it sounded like "I want to kill someone", at which point further realized it seemed like he wanted to kill someone from the _village_. "It's not a person," he added hastily.

Leo nodded, though he didn't seem like he was taking anything in. "Then what do you need to 'finish off'?"

His head brimmed with lies, but he chose to extract the precious half-truth. "I'm going into Carmite Cave, so I want to defeat the monsters," he answered simply.

Leo studied the sweating farmer for a few exaggerated moments. Raguna thought he'd lean in and leer at him, but instead he merely nodded.

"If that's the case," he grunted, with a glint in his eye that deceived his concurrence. "Right away. I'll make you a nice, shiny sword; one of my most renowned ones. How does that sound?"

Raguna nodded, but otherwise didn't bother to say another word, knowing he'd just make things go from bad to worse. After an incredibly tedious amount of time spent waiting dormantly by the forge, Leo whipped around holding a gleaming object, no doubt a sword. Its handle shone as if it were made of gold, and its blade was long and silver and sharp at the end. Three red gems glittered among its gleaming gold hilt.

"This gorgeous gem is called a Bastard Sword," Leo explained, causing Raguna to look him right in the eye.

"…Excuse me?"

"Yes, yes, I know, I didn't make the name up," Leo snapped grumpily, making Raguna eye the sword warily. "Try it out now, will you?"

Raguna nodded and took the sword by its handle. He foresaw himself lifting the sword high in the air, plunging it right into a dark beast. But the instant Leo released it, Raguna plummeted to the floor, sword point-first.

"HEY!" Leo roared, swiping at the masterpiece's pommel without struggle. He didn't seem surprised that Raguna was unable to wield it. He shoved the sword roughly into the miniature armoury behind him, glaring now. "You break it, you buy it!"

Raguna looked meekly at his feet and said nothing. If he were to be indebted to pay for something like _that_, his farming days would never be over…

After a partially long while later, an hour at most, Leo whirled around again, this time holding a black sword. It looked like it was made of leather.

"Why is it black?" Raguna asked dumbly.

Leo shot daggers at him, as if he'd just committed the deadliest sin. "Idiot, it's the scabbard." He tore the actual sword from its bed, revealing a long, wide sword forged from iron. It gave a rusty, copper shine, thick as Raguna's wrist.

"You know what, I'm not even gonna try holding that," he muttered before Leo could even tell him the sword's name, making him growl uncharacteristically.

This time, two hours passed. Leo shifted around irritably when he finished with the sword, lifting it up. It had two flapping handles, like light-green wings. The blade was stubby and silver, but to Raguna it only looked tacky. He responded with a light shake of the head, Leo not even bothering to dispute this time. He resumed his post at the forgery but this time Raguna interrupted him.

"Can you, you know, make a realistic sword? A sword someone like me can hold?" he said, trying not to show his full irritancy.

Leo caught it, however, and responded with a roar. "Fool; someone like you couldn't hold a stick if he wanted to!" Then he trudged over to his weapon storage (at which point Raguna stepped back cautiously) and yanked out the first sword in sight. He shoved the hilt into Raguna's hand, and after cautiously crouching in case it weighed him down again, he was motionless. Awed, he lifted the light sword and scanned it with great interest.

"That's a longsword. Most basic sword known to mankind. Think you can handle it?" Leo sneered.

Raguna was silent for a moment. He ran his fingers lightly against the dull side of the blade, and brought it from left to right a couple times. Then he turned to Leo, his eyes shimmering.

"Perfect; I'll take it."

The blacksmith's mouth fell agape. He was unable to fully take in the farmer's words. "B-b-but… what?! I was… I was only kidding! Don't you— don't you want a _special, amazing _sword or something? A royal sword? Like a _Flame Sabre_, or a _Punisher_?

Raguna paused for a moment. "…Nope," he finally said. He stuck his hand into his pocket, causing its contents to jingle together. "I think I made a fair amount from my crops so far. How much?"

Leo looked bewildered. "I… but don't you…" He paused, flabbergasted. "Nothin'. Take it. Take it for free."

"You really mean it?" He shrank back when Leo glowered at him, deciding to accept the free offering. "Thanks!"

He started off, looking back with a sheepish grin. "Uh, sorry about grabbing your collar and stuff; I was in a bad mood."

He exited, Leo staring at the back of his head in pure incredulity. Finally, when Raguna was far, far from earshot, he looked back at all of the imperial swords in their beds. He thought about what an incompetent boy the newcomer was and threw his head back, roaring with laughter.

"A sword doesn't make a swordsman. A swordsman makes a sword." Then he paused. "Or is it the other way around? I don't remember." He stalked back to his forge, shrugging and disbelieving. "I could've forged him anything. A Blood Lance. A Bio Smasher. A Cyclone Blade." He shook his head. "Yet he goes for a longsword! The most practical sword since the beginning of the Noard Knights. What a strange child..."

**xoxo**

**After-read spoilers: **Alright. I did you guys and myself a favour: I didn't give Leo one of those absolutely annoying, idiotic Hagrid-ish accents. Like _when ye be a' talkin' like dis. _How absolutely tiring is that to read? Anyway, I'll stop myself before this turns into a rant, heh.

Also, I went on about three different sites to learn more about swords. Whew, correct me if I make any errors with the labelling or anything. I don't know how long it takes to forge a sword, either, but don't get me wrong; Leo wasn't making them from scratch. He was simply patching them up.

Shutting up now, hope you liked it.


	12. Man versus Deity

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've been overwhelmed with tests lately. School is easy, but tests are hell. Really now, what's the point of half the damn assignments I get when they don't even get marked, let alone seen by anyone other than myself?!

Erm… onto the story. I guess this was a bit difficult to write. I mean, I tried to be graphic without being… TOO graphic. After all, (I probably stand alone on this one though) action is my favourite genre to write about. My mind is just so sick and disgusting, I can form any violence out of any sequence.

Moving on: **The following chapter includes spoilers for Carmite Cave. **It's the scene you've all been waiting for, haha. And after all this, it's about time.

Thank you Momo-Chan12, The Legend of Soul Emblem, daynah8r, MyShadowsThorn, Fushica, SIGF, Midnyte-Frost, and Dimention for reviewing. Four new reviewers in one update, holy crap. Thank you for taking your lovely time to share your comments! Really, I stopped writing fantasy in fourth grade, and I'm just picking it back up now. I don't mind anyone pointing out the points I can improve at.

**Disclaimer/Warning: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline. Slightly graphic (but none too gory) violence.

Please note this is FANFICTION and though this is based on the storyline, many vital parts AREN'T. (Fellow gamers, Zavier does not really rob your house.)

Really, I'm done now.

A Kardian Tale

Raguna emerged through the pathway of his farm with new confidence. His grip around the bland hilt of the typical longsword tight, he couldn't help but hardily grin. It was almost laughable how strange he felt. Just a while ago he'd been running on sheer strain and desperate fury. Now he was acting on impulsive, nearly compulsive instinct. And man, was it nice to feel you could rule the world without really knowing anything about it.

He paused when he touched the farmhouse, as if awaiting a presence to approach him, like they normally did when he was minding his own business. Watching, waiting, and listening intently, all he could hear was the singsong chirp of the birds… the gentle rush of the stream…

For some reason he was bemused. It was surprising that, for the first time, he actually wasn't interrupted. When he was walking around town, Rosetta was by his tail… when Raguna stepped a foot into house; Mist was there… when he was freaking out by Kasimir, Shannon roused him.

But now, he was alone. Solitariness… no, more like privacy. It was a sound feeling… one that enclosed itself in Raguna's body and led him all the way down the path. He glanced around as he walked, noticing how spring was slowly transforming into summer. By the time he looked back up, as if controlled by a latter being, he took in his surroundings. He was standing in a clearing, past the bridge, past the stream, past Mist's house…

"Carmite Cave, for the zillionth time," he breathed when his eyes brushed across the familiar mouth of the cave. Its wet, humid, inner air clawed at him from inside, and he only felt slightly afraid in relation to his former visit. He was experienced now; he knew what to do.

Bracing himself for the slam of the furry body of the orc, or the sleek coat of the generator, he took a brave and full step inside…

And again was bowled over.

"What--?" Raguna hissed as he rolled over on his stomach, sitting up to look at the fallen Zavier. "You again!" he cried, more exasperated than surprised.

Zavier glared at him as he adjusted his thin helmet. "What are you doing here?"

The swordsman was incredulous especially that he was first to ask. "I have a pass, if you couldn't already tell! I can go here whenever I want!" He paused. "You _do _have a pass… don't you?"

Judging by the angry growl Zavier emitted, he inferred a definite "no." But instead of pressing it, he decided to leap to another subject.

"What part of _grounded _do you not get?" Raguna demanded, enjoying the look of surprise unfurling on his face.

However, he let out an unvoluntary cry when Zavier snapped forward and leapt at him, both of them doubling over on their backs. "Don't you dare talk to me in that tone!" he yelled in a voice that closely resembled one of his mother's.

"Get off of me!" Raguna yelped, forcing him back by his stomach. "Get out of here! I actually wanna get through everything this time…"

"Oh, do you?" Zavier sniggered, suddenly nosy. "Whatever for? You'll probably die along the way."

Raguna wasn't prepared to share the theory he'd obtained about the Greater Daemon, much less with someone like Zavier. He'd probably try to beat him to the beast in search of some magnificent treasure… then he envisioned Zavier trying to defeat the titanic creature and omitted a snort.

"Look." He stood up and arched away. "I don't have time for your stupid, pointless arguments. Because if you don't mind, I have to get going."

He could almost sense Zavier's mouth falling agape when he started off, especially when senseless babbling rang through his ears. "W-wait! I'm not done with you! Come back here!" was heard, barely legibly.

But he just kept walking, nearly snickering when Zavier's voice was blocked out by the neverending walls of the cave. Raguna paced onward, growing gradually weary when no monster appeared in front of him; when no living organism was summoned to fight…

The longsword in his grip was beginning to feel useless and burdenlike, even. He loosened his fingers around the handle… only slightly.

He rounded another corner, bracing himself for the opponent to force a preemptive attack.

Nothing.

Just emptiness and the fading, rising, wispy torches aligned perfectly in an array on the walls. Raguna began to wonder how the torches even came to be, and if someone had put them there… who had that sort of time, really?

His grasp was becoming incredibly thin, and now only one hand was used to weightlessly let the sword dangle. His feet brought him to a large, uninhabited room, and a puzzled expression flitted his face. _Where are all the monsters? _he wondered.

He came across a long, twin set of doors that looked thick as boulders. A line of pale blue ran through the centre of the two doors, like ice that glued them together. Without even thinking, he reached forward and touched the blue substance, leaping back when a mighty crack sounded.

The "ice" began to ripple, and a horrible shattering noise exploded as shards flew from the thawed paste. The ground shook momentarily, and Raguna was brought violently to the trembling earth. Before he knew it, all was still again, and a calm swept over the entire cave.

Recovering quickly from the surprise gesture, he inched towards the door. Carefully, this time, he laid a hand on the door. Nothing happened. He laid the longsword to the ground and wrapped both sets of fingers around the crack and yanked… yet nothing budged. It was tight as cement.

Approaching from a different angle this time, he bent down and grabbed his sword. Then, on another impulsive twitch, he charged the point of the blade into the crack. All suddenly illuminated, and a brilliant blue light caused Raguna to turn away and squint. The light slowly dimmed and both the doors automatically opened, so he brought his head back and stared ahead.

In front of him was a wide, again, blue room. Rocks adorned each edge, corner and vertex. Everything seemed perfectly congruent… but a mysterious, foreign marking in the centre of the site told otherwise. He took a shaky step forward when someone burst through the door.

"Zavier!" he thundered on total reflex, whipping around and expecting to see an angry pair of eyes. Instead, he was met with surprised cerulean ones.

"Were you waiting for him or something?" Mist asked, seeming awed.

Raguna was startled. "Mist! I can understand you breaking into— I mean, coming to my house on a rainy day, but… why're you here?" He looked behind her then at her, perplexed. "_How_?"

"Long story," she muttered briefly. "Followed Zavier."

"Zavier…?"

A pregnant groan from the other room wrought into his ears, and his eyes widened acknowledgingly. "Er, why'd you beat him up?"

"Beating up is a harsh phrase," Mist noted innocently. "Anyway, I knew he'd try to interfere and end up getting obliterated so… I had no other choice." She shrugged. "Besides, he wasn't exactly happy that I'd come to see you."

He'd come to see her. He felt his cheeks tint at her flattering choice of words, but an avalanche of words woke him from his trance.

"Raguna!" Mist cried in a voice that shook him up. "I just had a talk with Sharron! She told me about telling you about the Greater Daemon and stuff… are you completely stupid?!"

Raguna stepped back in alarm. "…What?"

"What were you thinking, coming here alone? With a measly sword, too!" She seemed more perturbed than angry, but her reprimanding went on relentlessly. "This is dangerous! Don't you realize that?"

He tried to protest, but Mist quickly reverted topics. "I brought you something," she said softly.

Before he could reply, Mist revealed a familiar object. Its leather shone, and its quality still tweaked finely…

"How?" Raguna asked in shock as his eyes scanned the magical glove. "…Where?" He felt sick to his stomach believing Mist had broken into his house.

"It was Zavier," she explained before Raguna's thoughts could pour in further. "I found out. Don't ask how, but I did. Anyway…I think this belongs to you." Without waiting for a reply, she stuffed it onto his hand. "Hey, it looks good on you."

Raguna was still too astonished to give her a legitimate reply. He took a few appreciative steps back, and when he found his voice, he opened his mouth.

However, he didn't go on when he saw Mist's eyes bulge. "What?" He barely finished his sentence. Before he knew it, the marking he stood on began to glow blindingly, and above it he felt his entire body freeze. Rays of light strobed from the radiating imprint. He shot Mist a look, helpless from his time-halt position, and she received the message, stepping back.

A small shriek escaped his body when the glowing suddenly strengthened tenfold, and he tumbled forward, away from its brilliance. "Raguna!" was barely heard through his ringing ears, and when he looked up at Mist from his position on the ground, all he saw was a hand reaching forward, and then a smack.

The doors swung shut, hard, and the same acetous, icy blue substance had reappeared. It bounded him from the outer world, from safety…

A stressed growl from behind him interrupted him, and he felt blood prick his legs as claws thrusted forward and came to a squelching halt well into his flesh. A scream erupted from inside of him and he pulled away, his skin rippling when the claws were extracted from his skin.

He looked up and felt his heart tick one beat slower, his mind barely able to process the Greater Daemon summoned before him. The onyx skin, tattered wings, and fiery mane remained. The yellow eyes were unmistakable. And the adobe-red splayed upon its claws were not an attribute to be overlooked…

Another scream burst from inside him, causing his ribcage to shudder when the beast rammed into his stomach with the dull sides of its horns. He fell back, the unbearable pain disabling him momentarily.

Then, scampering feet was heard in the distance and he rolled over instinctively, barely dodging a wild swing. His hand wandered and he found the longsword, leaping to his feet, his heart pounding.

The Greater Daemon wasn't even scratched as it delivered a thump to Raguna's arm, receiving another shriek. Then another blow was sent to his knees, causing him to topple over, and a thrash at his side.

Raguna stayed in a crooked mess, and for a split second time seemed to halt. He was dying… he was losing… the fear he felt was unbearable. Wasn't the pain supposed to go away after the last attack? Wasn't all supposed to go numb as he slipped into oblivion? Why wasn't he dying… why wasn't he dead?!

A voice from nowhere resumed time, and a bare fist was clocked against him. He was brought down for the umpteenth time, barely containing enough strength to rise once more.

An abrupt, yet gentle voice suddenly went through him, like it mattered more than anything.

"_Get up, Raguna_."

It sounded like someone he knew… but who? Was it amnesia's doing? Who… who was this voice's bearer?

A searing howl elicited the fiend, and as if woundlessly, Raguna rose to his feet. The longsword trembled in his bleeding fist and a sudden shriek escaped him as he charged forward, plunging its blade right into the daemon's heart.


	13. Blood & Ink

A/N: Feel free to look up my address, show up at my house with a lumberjack axe, and ram it through my head. This update is slow. IT IS COMPLETELY my fault. I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. I really have no excuse. (Is that apology enough or do you still wanna kill me…?)

I'll move onto commentary now. Well, this chapter is a pretty big plot advancement. Don't worry though, as one of my reviewers said, the pace changes. And so does the genre. Sometimes it's daunting, sometimes it's… uh… happy-go-lucky, if you'd like to call it.

Thank you 0din, Blaze 909, Dimention, Fushica, Forty Two42, and MyShadowsThorn for reviewing. You're all hugely, hugely-huge support. And chapter one officially has more than 1000 views. Holy… crap.

**Warning/Disclaimer: **I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline.

A Kardian Tale

Naturally, after every tale's cliffhanger is a blackout. And after every blackout is an awakening. Regarding its namesake, no less was expected. Out of the lit cave walls of Carmite, westward of the farm, and surroundings whirring and appearing inside a familiar hospital, Raguna felt himself come to. He blinked once, then twice, and looked around, somewhat estranged by the appeasing silence. For some reason, such peace and quiet felt all wrong… but why was that so?

He straddled his legs together from his position on the bed and managed to sit up, a crooked "Ow" escaping him when numerous limbs seared. His eyes trailed up and down the white gauzes wrapped tightly around him from head to toe— literally. There were a slew of them on his legs, a tiny one around his forehead, possibly a half-dozen bandages around his arm—

Another sting caused an abrupt jolt from him, but he could tell this was from no wound. The pain felt like it was burning, not throbbing. And it was being received… outwardly?

He inspected all his bandages once more, unable to find the ache's origin. Finally strong, tense surges ran down his spine and he felt hurt nestle in his stomach. He lifted his shirt, expecting to see one long gash down the centre of his chest leading down to his bellybutton. But instead, he was met with… black. Ink? He couldn't tell. There were markings… and they weren't there before. They seemed to be in a different language— no, barely a language. It was all gibberish. Raguna's head spun just trying to interpret it.

Frantic now, he grabbed at his shins, forearms, neck; everywhere. He scanned every accessible skin on his body until it was confirmed that the marking remained solidly only on his stomach. But… _why_, was the question!

A convulsional wave of shock zapped at him and he fell back, panting hard. He felt black roll into his eyes and wash back out. Suddenly voices were articulate, and footsteps coming from the other room shook his body. He grabbed at his stomach with both hands, and the instant before he passed out he suddenly remembered the faintest memory seep into his skull.

The cadaverous Greater Daemon and its chilling features… but what had it done?

"…_Edward! He's passing out again!" _

"_He was awake?!" _

Disallowing himself to faint, he clutched at his consciousness with rough, swinging movements. All he felt was bedspread and the tightness in his knuckles as he held and grabbed, harder and harder, as if squeezing would grant him life. But alas, he burst into full consciousness, like a baby fresh from birth. He sat up automatically nearly clashing heads with Lara.

"Did I do it?" he demanded, needing to know more than anything.

At first the nurse looked puzzled, but the familiar face of Edward appeared in the doorway. He was holding something— no, a couple somethings. Raguna stared at the objects, recognizing them as _his _possessions— the Friendship Glove, his empty bottle, to name a few. His thoughts ended when Edward spoke in a triumphant yet feeble voice.

"If you mean did you kill the Greater Daemon, then the answer is yes." He continued barely before joy could wash over the victorious farmer. "But your body suffered quite greatly from the battle. Honestly, wounds are everywhere, evidently… you got yourself in one big mess."

"Knowing him, it'll be first to many to come," Lara said under her breath, an uncharacteristically bitter tone in her voice. Raguna looked up at her and she immediately smiled her fullest. "You'll probably be staying here a few nights, Raguna. Maybe even a whole season."

He groaned before he could stop himself, and Lara laughed. He didn't see what was so funny about being tied to a hospital bed for an entire season. The first day of summer was nearing, no less. He wouldn't want to stay in bed for the entirety of _summer_!

"Hey, Edward…" He instantly remembered the cryptic markings, feeling self-conscious. "I, uh…" Ominous thoughts flocked to him. Were they scriptures of the future; predictions of death? A conjecture of a dying future? Would the strange symbols bring unbalance to the carefree village? The last thing Kardia needed was a creeping premonition.

"What is it?"

He reconsidered in a split second, suddenly stiff. "Nothing."

"Well, if you say so." Edward looked down, as if realizing the items in his hold for the first time. "Oh yeah, Mist brought you out of the cave," he recapped. "She brought all your things too. She said she'd be visiting shortly."

Lara intercepted. "Are you and Mist, you know, _together_?" she asked indifferently, in a new, slightly aggressive tone Raguna feared.

"No, we're not," he replied slowly. "Why…?"

"I was just wondering," she shrugged, looking away. "…You know, it _is _spring 26th."

He furrowed his brow. "Is today a special day or something?"

Lara looked shocked; offended, even. "A special day?" she practically fumed, silencing only when Edward laid a hand on her shoulder.

"If you don't mind, Lara, this doctor needs a talk with his patient." There was a slightly weary look in his eyes. "If you could please step outside a bit…"

"Oh, sure!" she said, particularly ticked off. Then she stormed off muttering to herself, and it was only when her rapid footsteps faded that Edward spoke.

"As we all know, tomorrow is the Cooking Festival," he mused, arching a brow when Raguna looked perplexed. "Mist didn't tell you?"

For the dozenth time, he was annoyed that everyone expected him to get all his info off Mist. All his equipment, all his needs, all his _everything._ "No," he answered bitterly.

"Well… it is," Edward assessed, looking slightly bemused. "You know how some of the young women here are…"

"Do they expect me to cook?" Raguna suddenly felt a bit sick. He usually gathered his savings and ate meals at the Spring Rabbit. He hadn't tried in his remembering existence yet, but somehow he could just _tell _he was a crappy chef. "Is it tradition or something?"

Edward chuckled. "Tradition? Luckily not. No, many of the women love to cook, and they are especially competitive when it comes to who _excels _at it." He sighed. "Nearly each of them participates every year. A select few, like Lara, are pretty good at cooking, but she's one of the most aggressive when it comes to getting votes. Back to the good cook factor… well, Mist, on the other hand…"

The sound of a door swinging open interrupted them. Edward strolled out of the room to check who was there and, speak of the devil, Mist practically flooded into the doorway, looking flustered and beet-red. "Is he okay? Well?" she demanded the instant they met eyes.

"He's fine." Edward shot Raguna a particularly telling look before turning back to Mist. "Do you want to see him? You can go on in." At the same time, he left the room.

Raguna heard her murmur a quick word of thanks before she crash-landed into the room. Though he was sprawled out on a bed, he felt the ground shake with impact… and his bones nearly crush when she toppled him into a hug.

"…Mist," Raguna gasped once his circulation began to falter.

She immediately broke her grip. "Are you okay, are you okay?!" she demanded, her eyes far from joking. "Are you hurt? …Well, obviously you're hurt, but… are you _really _hurt?"

He was confused about why she was so concerned… more precisely, more concerned than _he _was. From past farming injuries, however slight, he recovered quickly. The wounds from the Greater Daemon barely hurt anymore, so worry and danger sense had far fled from his mind.

"I'm fine." He held his arm out like jelly and attempted to flex it, but she grabbed it and held it down.

"Raguna; do you have any idea how frightened I was?"

"What?" Now his emotions began to churn. He had never seen Mist so daunted. In contrast to her perpetually optimistic self, her second face had to mean trouble. And the more he digested her words… the more he feared what had happened.

Mist explained, still looking stricken. "I-I remember," she croaked, her voice hoarse. "When… when you called my name. I reached forward, Raguna. I was going to go get you… but then I saw you on the ground. And I saw… the Daemon. It was terrible. The door… the door…"

"Mist, talk slower." Raguna mentally berated himself for being so harsh when she was obviously so distressed, but he had to know what happened. "Take a deep breath."

She inhaled and exhaled.

"Good. Now continue."

Her eyes fluttered listlessly for a moment, but she didn't look him in the eye. "The door closed shut," she finally said. The frog in her throat had disappeared, but now her voice sounded like a whisper. "And then something… happened."

Without even realizing, he withheld his breath.

"The blue lines on the door. The strange, liquidy solid. It turned… it turned…" She screamed the last sentence. "Into_ blood!_"

Raguna felt stoniness pang into his heart. He was silent for a long moment, almost feeling a barrier easing up his throat, preventing him from breathing, talking… He couldn't think at all. He couldn't even _imagine_…

"I started panicking. I was so, so scared." Mist's eyes were tightly shut, and her fist was furling around Raguna's uninjured one. "Zavier said we should get out. I could tell he was scared too. But I didn't want… to leave you."

He would've blushed if he hadn't been so numb.

"So I don't know why, but I… I touched the blood. And then something happened to it. Everything suddenly—"

There was a fast knock on the door before it opened, Lara stepping inside in a huff. She barely made eye contact with the frozen Raguna.

"Hey, I'd like to apologize for earlier. I think I was just—" Her words rammed into a wall when she caught sight of the tear-streaked Mist, and the blanching patient. "Um, am I…"

She stopped talking. Then she took slow, mousy steps backward, closing the door soundlessly when she was all the way through the squeaky threshold.

A silence dawned instantly.

"What happened next?" Raguna asked, surprised he could even speak after such an exchange. "What did the blood do?"

Mist appeared to cringe at the mention of it. She took another affirmative gulp of air. "It turned to ink. Black, dark ink. Then before I knew it, everything seemed to be spinning. It was all black. I was surrounded by it. I don't know how long I was in there for, but then the only thing I managed to see through all the darkness was the door. It opened, and I heard you scream…"

Another knock on the door.

"We're busy," Raguna shouted. Without even thinking, he raced to the door, locked it furiously, and slammed against it. Then his attention averted back to Mist, who hadn't moved a muscle. "Yes, I remember that."

"And then I looked and you had the blade clear through the Daemon's heart. The weird thing was, when the sword went in, light started streaming out of the beast. And the light cleared the blood… the ink… and I could see again."

A hush produced, but Raguna was dying to know more. "Then?"

"I… I don't remember," she said softly. "I can barely remember what happened after that. All I remember was that I carried you… at least, that's what Doctor Edward told me once I brought you here, and I could think clearly. I… still don't know what happened to Zavier, but I think he's okay. I was going to go check up on him next."

Raguna was too startled to feel jealousy or anger toward the novice treasure hunter. He wanted to speak, to move, to do anything… but he just simply couldn't.

"I guess I should go," Mist finally ended.

He nodded, stepping back to unlock the door for her. His eyes met hers, as if waiting for something.

"I… should get ready for the cooking festival," Mist finally forced herself say. At least, that was what it sounded like. "Are you going to come?"

He was at a loss for words. "I guess."

"Oh. Okay… bye."

She swept past him, and for a small second, Raguna thought he saw her tug on her shoulder sleeve. His eyes remained on the wall, mesmerized.

His head wasn't buzzing. His mind wasn't racing. He wasn't even… thinking.

He sat down on the bed, breathless. Then he looked down, rolled up his shirt, and stared at the markings on his stomach.

_The blue turned to blood, which turned to ink… _

His breath caught, and he suddenly knew why his wounds healed so quickly. Without medicine, without bandages, without time…

"The ink turned… to me."


	14. Cooking Festival

A/N: Oh. My. I am SO DAMN SORRY. Seriously. I made so many drafts of this chapter and revised it so many times, but writer's block and a bit of something else stumped me. This isn't necessarily a filler because it leads up on another event that I'm not going to spoil for you, and I'll admit that I'm not really happy with it. I think I'm straying off canon too much so I'll try to redeem a bit of that, but I've spotted a bunch of other troubles in the story as well…But don't worry. I won't discontinue.

Thank you xTenten., Fushica, Dimention, MyShadowsThorn, SIGF, Forty Two42, Mereo Flere, Captain Deadpool, Mr.X, water shard, GhostPrincess, and SuperKatyDid for reading. I honestly hope I haven't lost any readers in this terribly slow update, but I guess it's my fault anyway…

So, enjoy, hopefully, and I swear on a life-long supply of Bingo Dabbers that the next update will be quicker.

A Kardian Tale

"Raguna…"

…

"Raguna…"

…_Who's there?_

"Awaken…"

…_I know this voice…I've heard it before…_

"Do you remember, Raguna?"

_Remember…what?_

…

_I… I don't know._

"Can you not recognize my voice?"

_No, I do! I know this voice. I just can't pinpoint exactly—_

"Tell me my name."

_But you…I…I-I can't…_

"…Then you don't remember…"

_Who is this? Who are you? How do you know my name?_

"Raguna… I hope that one day you can remember."

_Please, answer me! I _do _know you!_

"For now… goodbye."

_Wait! Tell me your name…! _

**xoxo**

Raguna awoke with a jolt, his mind brimming with fresh memory. "That voice," he cried to no one, "I know that voice. I remember it. It's… I know that voice!!"

He looked up, seeing Lara staring at him like he was insane. "Um… yes, Raguna… I was just talking…" she reminded him slowly.

He looked at her, deadpan. "Didn't you hear it?" he demanded. "I-I knew who it was, I really did. If only they could tell me their name, I would remember! If only they could tell my how they knew _my _name!"

She seemed to falter. "Um, do you want some medicine…?"

It was only now that he realized he was sitting in a hospital bed, so anything he said would prove him delusional. He brought up an arm, as if to ensure it was still intact. "Actually, I'm feeling pretty good. But could you answer my question? Did you hear that voice?"

"…Raguna, there was no voice," the nurse said, almost carefully.

"But I was certain I heard—" His speech was cut off when Lara rose.

"Look, I'll go get Doctor Edward." She zoomed out of the room before he could reply.

Raguna, now alone, allowed himself to think. _I really did hear that voice before…on the day that Mist found me by her house almost a season ago. _The voice wasn't haunting or ominously deep. It was just a soft yet firm voice that he really, truly remembered. But…whose was it!? Amnesia truly had its bad perks. _Will Edward help me remember…?_

"Hello. I see you're awake."

He looked up at Doctor Edward, who looked tediously weary. "Yeah…hey, Doctor, I have a ques—are you alright?" Raguna asked upon seeing him rub his eyes, which loomed above dark circles.

The doctor sighed. "I told you yesterday, didn't I?"

"Tell me what?"

"Today is the Cooking Festival…"

"Oh yeah." He paused, confused. What was the big deal? You just had to cook. It wasn't anything extreme like slaying the Greater Daemon. And he was still waiting for the standing ovation… "Er, anyway, like I was saying…can I ask you a question?

"Go ahead."

Raguna hesitated before continuing. Despite the fact that Edward was standing there, all ears, ready to indulge in every little thing he said, something made him not want to tell him. What would he think of the ink markings, or the voice that Raguna alone heard? Would Edward send him away, or never trust him again? It wasn't worth saying just to hear an incredulous opinion.

"Um…can I go?" he finally inquired.

Edward paused. "Well, you look fine, so you're free to go...but is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Of course," Raguna tried to say in an air of nonchalance that wouldn't make him suspicious.

Doctor Edward didn't seem convinced, but released him anyway. "Be careful," he called. Then, an "oh" expression coming onto his face, he handed Raguna his things. "Don't forget these."

"Yeah, thanks again." Raguna got out of bed slowly, as if if he made a wrong move his entire body would crumble. Restored though, he felt fine. _Is it because of the ink? _

'_And watch out for Lara!!' _he thought he heard in an echo as he stopped at the door.

He paused to think. Now that he was free to go, his first priority was to find out more about this strange chain of events that had been affecting him. But he knew he had to return to his farm—in fact, he was a little scared to find what condition it had to be in. During the blasphemous time Mist had been angry, she told him she'd never tend to his fields again. It was best he hurried.

With that, he pushed open the door. And just as he stepped out and the door was swung shut Raguna was met with his most favourite person in the whole wide world just outside the doorway.

**SLAM!**

**xoxo**

Raguna didn't apologize. He just watched in initial shock and amusement as Zavier fell onto his behind holding his bloody nose, his facial expression enough to point and laugh at. It was an amazing coincidence how every time they crossed paths, one of them got hurt—usually Zavier, supposedly.

"You idiot! You bastard!" Zavier shrieked at him from beneath his hands, which muffled his voice. "I could've died!"

Raguna bit back a tempting _Too-bad-you-didn't_. "Oh…sorry?"

"Sorry?" Zavier shot up and glared at him. "Moron!" He seemed to have an infinite number of insults.

Raguna paused, realizing that his last encounter with the so-called treasure hunter was in Carmite Cave. He remembered how Mist had told him she'd knocked him out, and grinned thinking of an unconscious Zavier, but cringed remembering his discussion with Mist. He'd have to see her soon to clear his head…the ink thing still made no sense to him…

In fact, soon after she had left that day, he had taken his nail and pushed it against his skin. When he bled real, true blood, he was almost sure that ink couldn't be running through his veins in place of the thick red liquid. That was too foolish to even consider. He didn't know what was wrong with his head at the time. After all—

"Stop ogling me, you dumbass!"

Remembering Zavier was still there with his nose gushing blood madly, Raguna decided that for his first few seconds out the door he didn't want an argument. Still, unable to help himself, he ventured, "Good thing you're at the clinic, huh?"

Zavier was perpetually offended and he bristled instantly. "Shut up! This is your fault!"

"…Um, right. I'm just gonna…" He hooked his thumb over his shoulder like a fishing line and veered around.

"Yeah. Run away," Zavier snapped, disappearing inside the building with a loud crack.

Despite how fun messing with the idiot was, Raguna still felt unnerved as he drew nearer to the streets before his farm.

_What does this ink mean…?_

Unable to resist himself, he lifted his shirt and took a quick glance down. He waited for freakish black stains to swim to his vision, to scare him and give him chills…but…all he could see was skin. Normal skin. He pulled higher, just to be sure.

The markings were gone.

"Um, excuse me, you're in public here."

He looked up with a start, seeing Rosetta hanging lazily outside the Material Store. He tugged down his shirt, turning red. But he was more confused than embarrassed. _Where'd the markings go!? _rang through his head repeatedly.

"I see you've been released."

"I have."

She sounded incredibly…evil. Maybe all women were like that on the day of the Cooking Festival. He wanted to think—besides, a conversation with Rosetta would be too much work. "Look, I have to go, so see you around." Not waiting for a reply, he sped-walked back, his face still burning scarlet.

Then he looked down again, puzzled, not stopping. _They disappeared…_

**xoxo**

"Oh no."

Raguna stared at his fields. They no longer brimmed with life, abundant with lush, juicy red strawberries and full and round turnips. They were now comprised of ugly, wilted plants and yellowy weeds. Litter and other stuff that looked like crap spewed over unfertile dirt. In fact, his farm's condition was worse than it was when he _arrived_. Replanting would be pretty much like starting all over from scratch plus double the effort. Not to mention his house still looked like it had just been turned upside down and shaken from the Glove incident even after he'd tried to clean up. The worst part? None of this was his fault.

He looked around frantically, pleading for Mist to show up and magic everything better. He even dug through his inventory and flipped through the pages of Grand Mage's spell book, desperately searching for a title that said: "Fix and replant crops." When he found nothing, he considered going to the library, where he might also find a book concerning the mysterious markings.

"I can't believe this happened over a few days…" he groaned to himself, having had enough problems to worry about in the first place.

Showing up at the library did him no good either. It was closed and locked. "Why is it closed?" he asked dubiously, knocking anyway. "Is anyone inside? Hello? This is urgent!"

Someone tapped on his shoulder. He spun around, spotting Tori. "Hey!" he called, a bit too loudly. "Uh, why is the library closed? I really need to get a book that—"

"Mist was looking for you," she interjected quietly, still in her library voice.

Raguna blinked. "Oh, really?" The thought of remedying his fields seemed to disappear in his mind. Seeing Mist was his first priority in his mind. In fact, she'd been playing a huge role in his life since his arrival. "Where is she?"

"At the Square…" she replied, still sounding trademark frail.

"Alright, thanks Tori!" He began to march away, mindset, when he suddenly remembered something. He turned around. "Um, do you have a book about ancient markings?"

He almost wished he hadn't asked. "I don't think so." She didn't pry, and for that Raguna was glad.

"Bye," he called, and this time he ran all the way to the Square.

**xoxo**

Seeing as today was a festival date, the Square was packed with people, ranging from Nicholas and Ceci fooling around and pretending to steal food (and scattering when a furious Lady Ann approached them) to Leo, slouching as he took up half a bench. Ornate tables were set up, most likely borrowed from the Saint-Coquille manor, and several food assets were covering them. Steam rose from the freshly cooked dishes, making the air seem hazy. Even though Raguna's objective was to find Mist, he couldn't help but slow his walk as he walked by. First of all, it smelled delicious—it made him want to lean over and shove something into his mouth.

"Don't you dare lean over and shove something into your mouth."

He turned with a start. "What are you doing here?" he immediately demanded. Then his heart sank. First Rosetta, now Bianca—how many demon women were he bound to meet?

"It _is _the Cooking Festival today, you idiot. Free country. Plus my daddy is the gastronomist." Bianca glowered at him, but there seemed to be a different light to her…she seemed…sadder? He couldn't tell. There was just something in her tone of voice that changed.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" She backed up, as if offended. Then her gaze lowered to a squint. "Oh, you're looking for Mist—aren't you?"

He blinked. "How did you know?"

"Well, it's obvious. When _aren't _you looking for her?"

Despite her tiny transformation, Raguna was offended. "What—shut up!" he sputtered.

Bianca seemed armed for a retort when suddenly there was a large _bong, bong, bong _resounding in the air. Everyone turned their heads to the front of the Square, where Jasper stood with a proud napkin tucked into his velvet collar. "Hello," he greeted, though his speech was a bit rushed. "As you all know we are all here today for the Cooking Festival. My name is Jasper, as you all already know, and I am the town gastronomist and judge here today. Now, I'll be trying out the food now so if you could all wait five minutes…"

There was a deliberate silence as he rushed up and took in all the food, both in sight and in stomach. Raguna watched out of amusement, wondering how green Jasper's face would turn once he ate that second plate to the right. It looked like fish, or something.

Jasper stopped when he saw the dish as well. "What in the world is this?" he asked incredulously, his eyes bugging out at the so-called fish.

Then, out of nowhere, Mist appeared looking indignant. "That's my special dish—smoked sardine. Try it, I can almost guarantee you'll love it."

Raguna felt a rush up his chest. "Mist!"

Seeming to have heard his miniscule shriek, she turned and waved briefly. "Hello, Raguna," she greeted him nonchalantly. Then she faced Jasper again, trying to coax him into trying her smoked sardine.

Bianca, who hadn't said a word for quite a long time, spoke up. "Why do you want to see Mist so badly?" she muttered. She looked like she wanted to say more, but didn't.

Raguna reared around, ready to snap at her, when he saw the look of complete sadness on her face. There was no other word for it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Bianca snarled. Then she sank into her side bitterly. "Okay, never mind. Um, can I trust you with something?"

"Yeah…" He paused, interested.

"Well…you see…last night, I—" She stopped abruptly. "Wait, why am I telling you this? Are you taking advantage of me just because I'm a pretty, crying girl who needs a dummy to spill to?"

Raguna stared, flabbergasted, despite the fact that she wasn't even crying. "Um, no, I'm—"

"You know what? Who cares," she cut in, producing another moodswing. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the Saint-Coquille mansion. "Come with me."

Raguna quickly followed, but a look over his shoulder changed his mind. "But—"

"Do you want to know or not?"

Still not recognizing the hurt and slightly desperate tone of voice, he silenced. _I guess this mystery will have to wait._


	15. Control

A/N: Holy…crap. Words cannot describe how sorry I am. In fact, I can't even begin to apologize for my six-odd-months absence. But whatever, because I am really, really, really, really sorry. It was purely the fault of writer's block, and my life, in general, that had prevented me from continuing this. But I'm here now, and I have an update, and so PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. xD This won't happen again. And if it does…uh…okay, it just _won't_.

Thank you Dimention, Captain Deadpool, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, Mereo Flere, and EmeraldGlee for reviewing. You guys might have to look back to remember what in the world's going on…again, so sorry. I'm planning on doing a rewrite of the first dozen chapters or so, try to make things less rushed, add some more plotless cutscenes, etc., but I'll maintain the same storyline. So if you're a new reader, please don't comment on how rushed or crappy the beginning was…I'm working on it.

Chapter fifteen is a bit dark, and…rather confusing. I tried to make it a tad longer to make up for this unforgivable hiatus, so I hope you like it, whoever you are. It'll clear up and get happier, I promise.

A Kardian Tale

It was like seeing something he wasn't meant to see.

Like a young child watching his father fight in the war, observing the wounds and gashes dealt to his body.

Raguna grew awkward and uncomfortable when the cellar door swung shut behind him, and the silence was so thick he could probably reach his hand out and touch it. He glanced up nervously at Bianca, who he was so used to being prissy, confident—almost condescendingly so—and superior. She was sitting on one of the heavy barrels pushed against the wall, her back slouched, looking small and insignificant.

What the hell was wrong with the world?

"So…" Raguna broke the ice.

Bianca, awakening from her vulnerable state, glanced up at him with a look that could kill ten thousand. He could feel the after-freeze of the shattered ice, and he stiffened, unsure of what to say.

"About this…thing you want to talk about," he started again, carefully this time.

He almost jumped when Bianca let out a long, exasperated sigh. He would never get used to her moodswings.

"Have you ever gotten the feeling that, well, that you have a secret to keep? And you feel like you're responsible for keeping that secret a secret, even though it's not _your _secret, but…it feels like it is?" she asked slowly.

Raguna could tell she was being serious, but he had no idea what she was talking about. He tripped over her words, trying to process them, and failing. His mouth dropped open dubiously.

She rolled her eyes. "It's like I'm explaining this time and time again. I hate telling stories twice, don't you?" She wasn't looking at him, which probably meant it was a rhetorical question. "The thing is, I'm not supposed to tell _anyone_, period. Because it's…not really something that I have the right to tell. I'm not really sure I'm doing the right thing."

Raguna stared at her, waiting impatiently for her to just tell him already. He thought of Mist, the markings, the Greater Daemon, and wondered why he was wasting his time listening to a torn girl's paradox. It was maddening—and confusing as hell.

"It's just this…thing. I know we're not supposed to keep things bottled up, but maybe I didn't deserve to know in the first place. She shouldn't have told me. Oh…this is wrong. Ugh, what am I _doing_?" She seemed to be changing her mind.

And he'd lost her again. "Bianca…" He tried not to sound annoyed, but it showed, just a little. "_What are you talking about_?"

"Um…I don't know where to start."

He resisted the urge to smack his forehead against a heavy metal bar to his side—it was tempting. "Start at the beginning," he murmured flatly, in a neutral, safe tone.

"I don't really know all the details."

"Look, is this about you?" Raguna snapped. He saw hurt flit across her face, naked pain, and regretted his bitterness.

But Bianca unleashed bitterness of her own. "No, dammit!" she hissed back. Then her voice shrank. "It's about…Tabatha."

Raguna waited for her to continue, but she remained silent. He let out a sigh. "Look, this is none of my business. I don't think you should be telling me this. I should go." He got up to leave when he heard a sharp intake of breath.

"No, stay! She told me…to tell you. Oh, _crap_, I wasn't supposed to tell you that, either…" She groaned, seeming as aggravated as the poor farmer did.

He sat back down, paying more attention now that Tabatha was part of the…weird girl thing. "If she wanted you to tell me, then why can't you just spit it out?" he asked brusquely.

"It's not like that," she snapped. "Ugh. I just…it feels so wrong. I don't see why she can't do it herself. It's just…"

"_Continue_," Raguna hissed, his hourglass of patience devoid of sand now.

Bianca took a deep breath and then said in a firm, yet shaky voice, "Tabatha…has a secret…from the village. She…is…"

The longest silence in the world ensued. Raguna held his breath, expectant.

She let her guard down, and her face showed that she was definitely going to spill the truth at that instant. "Tabatha is—"

And she would have finished her sentence, had there not been an explosion that could be heard all the way from the town square, resonating painfully in the two's ears. It was a clashing sound, like two stonewalls smacking against each other, or two lightning bolts colliding into one another. And for some odd reason, it made something click in Raguna's head, his head jerking forward in shock, things seeming to occur at twice the speed for him, and him alone.

"What was that?!" Bianca shrieked, her hand flashing to her mouth.

But Raguna didn't reply—he was feeling a familiar, trickling sensation. A tingling in his abdomen…like the one he'd received the first day he'd awoken in his new life, and fought the orc that had started this all. He gave into this instinct and stood up slowly.

"Where are you going, fool? You heard the—the explosion—you could die!" Bianca sputtered, watching him in horror.

"You don't understand." The feeling kicked in again, a sort of aching that pulled him out of the cellar. It felt like he was drifting—he wasn't aware at all that his two feet were still attached.

Bianca followed him, and surprisingly, she didn't say a word. However, her pants were heard as she struggled to pace with him. Was he running now?

The bright sunlight hit his face as he raced out of the Saint-Coquille mansion, pushing aside the heavy and exaggerated doors. The air was eerily silent, and though no smoke rose, no screams were heard, and there was no physical evidence of any sort of explosion, Raguna just _felt _that something was wrong. He also got the feeling that death could be a possibility in the next few minutes but he pushed it aside. He had no memory, no past that he could reflect with—death was an empty threat, not something that actually scared him.

But what really bugged him, what _really _pissed him off, was knowing that he had had a family, a life, good or bad, and now he couldn't remember a thing about it. It was infuriating knowing he was living the wrong life, like a turtle in a cheetah's body. He felt like he was wearing the wrong pair of clothes, or too-tight skin.

And now, more than ever, it felt like he would find an answer, and that was what he wanted more than anything else.

"Raguna, wait," he heard from behind him, and turned slowly on his heel. Bianca ran up beside him, looking exhausted. "You could…get hurt." Was that worry present on her face? It made Raguna's resolve falter, but just barely.

"Bianca…" His throat closed for a second. He mirrored her as he asked her in a rushed voice, "Have you ever had that feeling where you had to do something, you had to go somewhere, and you don't know why the _hell _that was?"

Her eyes, more innocent and fragile and scared than he'd ever seen them, stared into his. "…Yes," she finally replied, surprisingly calm.

"Well, that's what I'm feeling right now. So…stay right here, and don't even move, and I'll be back in a sec, because…I just really have to go find an answer right now." He sprinted off before he could see her reaction, his empty promise forgotten in two heartbeats.

His conscience, his mind, and everything that he had control over seemed to slip away as he ran with his life blowing in the wind behind him.

**xoxo**

"_Brother?"_

_The boy's eyes flickered over to his sibling's unsurely as he called his name. _

_The other, older, a man, didn't look back at him from his spot on the wooden stool. He was staring down at a long blade in front of him, watching his reflection as he angled the sword this way and that. "Yes?"_

"_Why did Father tell me it was dangerous for me to leave the castle?"_

_The man halted in his place. "Brother…you are very strong," he said slowly. _

_The boy frowned. "That doesn't answer my question…at all…but thanks?"_

_He continued on as if he had never been interrupted. "But…what you lack is control."_

"_Control?" The boy furrowed his brow._

"_Yes. And your control…sometimes your control falters. It distinguishes the line between who you are, your soul, and who the fighter in your soul is." _

"_The fighter…in my soul…?"_

"_And sometimes you lose that control. Sometimes you lose consciousness, and you lose yourself altogether."_

"_But…why?"_

"_It's not your fault, little brother." The older man sighed, putting down the sword and then walking over to his sibling, laying a hand on his shoulder gently. "It's in your blood. You can't change that."_

"_But why?" he repeated. _

_The man closed his eyes. "Just…because," he muttered, annoyed now._

_The boy hit the hand on his shoulder away angrily. "What are you talking about? You and Father, you sound the exact same—you're answering my questions, but it seems like you're avoiding them at the same time! Can't you just tell me what's wrong with me? Don't I deserve to know?"_

_The man grimaced. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But there's nothing more to say. You will find out who you are on your own, and you'll find out the right way." _

_The younger one groaned. "Okay, stop playing Mr. Wise and just spit it out. I know something's wrong with me. Is there some legend behind it, some connection?"_

"_A legend?" The man smiled slightly for the first time. "Well…" _

"_What is it?" The boy's interest piqued, he stared at his brother, waiting for an answer. "Tell me!" _

_The man leaned in, his voice lowering. "You can't tell your father I said this," he said seriously._

_He nodded intently. "I won't."_

"_Okay…well…" He was right next to the boy's ear now. "They say…that there is a swordsman in the Norad kingdom with amazing powers. Not only is he an earthmate, with the ability to tame wild beasts, but he has the power to communicate with gods, supreme beings…and…"_

_The boy's breath hitched, when suddenly he felt something hard and solid smack against the back of his head. _

"_And dragons," the man finished, smirking from ear-to-ear. "Quite the tale, eh?"_

"_Dragons? Supreme beings?! What the hell does that have to do with me?" the boy fumed, reaching up to get revenge. He tackled his brother onto the ground and they both laughed. _

"_Maybe nothing, and maybe everything," he sang. _

_And that was the boy's last day of his conscious life. _

**xoxo**

"I've been waiting for you."

Raguna approached the square, his mind a frozen, white blank screen. He couldn't think—he could only _feel_. He stopped when he was at the entrance, just beside the benches where the children usually played.

A woman he did not recognize stood on the separated, raised platform at the far end of the square. She smiled widely at him, unconscious bodies littered around her, off to the far sides. He thought he recognized Mist among those bodies and the little bit of control he still had made him grit his teeth, a low growl escaping.

"Who are you?" Raguna demanded. His hand clenched reflexively onto where the handle of his sword would have been—if he'd had it.

"Well." The woman dwelled on the question so deeply that it was almost laughable. She gave up finally, shooting him an animated smile. "You could say we used to know each other."

"I don't remember knowing you."

"Ah." She began to walk toward him, like a train advancing down the tracks: with no intention to stop, and with the threatening force that could crush him. "But that's just the point."

His conscience, his control, told him to run, but his mind forced him to stand his ground.

"Who am I?" he whispered.

She smiled back. "If I told you, then that would ruin everything," she said, and came to an abrupt halt only a foot away from him. He could taste her breath; smell her skin.

"What do you want?" He was trembling with anger.

The woman seemed to notice this and she took a step back. "I just wanted to see you. Now I know what I'm up against." She grinned cattily. "And I must say, I'm quite impressed. You seem strong enough…" She brought an unsuspecting hand forward and flicked Raguna in the forehead, making him stumble backward. "Unfortunately, you have no control over your own power, which is…eh…pathetic. And you're quite weak when you actually do have control." She shrugged. "Guess it's my fault, though."

"_Your _fault? You have something to do with this?" His top and bottom teeth crushed against each other and he stepped forward, still absolutely unaware. His hand shot forward to grab her by the collar, but she was faster than him, bouncing back lithely.

"Slow," she commented, brushing away a stray lock of russet hair that had gotten in the way of her eyes. "Hm. Disappointing."

"Who are you?" he growled, swiping at her again, and missing by almost a metre as she snapped back again.

"Even if I told you, you'd forget," she said, seeming to enjoy his moment of anger.

"What?" he demanded furiously.

"Oh, just watch. See, this is the fun part." She smiled and brought one white-gloved hand to her side. Her fingers struck against each other, like two sticks igniting a fire.

_Snap__._

**xoxo**

It was as if someone had just flicked off the lights; Raguna could no longer see.

Now he was swimming in a pool of black, somehow standing in a neverending hole. He was paralysed, floating—nowhere.

And he was getting that feeling in the very back of his head that he was forgetting something. It wasn't like an annoying feeling, like when he walked over to the store to buy some seeds and found out he had forgotten his money at the farmhouse—it was an entirely unbearable feeling that clawed at him from inside. He could hear his thoughts, what ran through his head, and that boggled him. It felt like he was being born again, everything seemed so new to him…except now he knew what he was doing.

No, that was a lie. He had no idea what he was doing, or what was going on.

"Raguna?"

He opened his eyes, fully in control now, and the world spun around him. It wasn't very sunny outside, but the light seemed to blind him, overpowering the darkness in his mind. Something blurry wavered like a mirage in the hot desert in front of him and when his vision steadied, he could see none other than Mist, staring into his eyes with worry.

"…Mist?" He blinked a few times. "What just…?" He couldn't remember a thing over the last few minutes. It was like his mind was a microscope, and his memories were slides, his most recent one covered by a black sheet. He looked up into the sky, his eyes still squinting. They were at the town square, and everything was…

Normal. Absolutely normal.

"Come on," she said, tugging on his arm, and making him look back at her, out of his reverie. "Judging starts soon."

"Judging?" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's the Cooking Festival, silly," she said, and let go of his arm as she skipped ahead without him. Raguna saw Zavier run up and join Mist, shooting Raguna a dirty look, but he didn't even care.

Why didn't he remember anything? _Why_? Was there even anything _to_ remember?

_Raguna…_he thought he heard a voice whisper into his mind.

He scowled, answering with a thought of his own.

_Oh, shut up._


End file.
